


I Won't Try Again

by justcourtee



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Maribat - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Daminette, F/M, MariBat, try again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 53,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25721347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justcourtee/pseuds/justcourtee
Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng loved the idea of a soulmate, always had since she was little. So you could imagine her disappointment when her 21st birthday came and her soulmate phrase appeared, four little words "Get out of here". She decided at that moment that it was time for a change. A new job opportunity arises in Gotham City, something away from Paris, a new start. Who knew the trouble it would land her in?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste/Helena Wayne, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Comments: 83
Kudos: 480





	1. Chapter 1

Marinette was alwaMarinette was always fascinated by the idea of soulmates. Two people, two souls, a perfect match made by the universe. A love meant to last for eternity.

How could anyone not want that?

She got her answer on her 21st birthday. In perfect script, the words 'Get out of here' were written on her inner wrist.

It felt as if her heart shattered into a million pieces. After all the rejection she had faced over the years, why would it be any different with her soulmate? She moved to roll down her jacket sleeve as her phone began to buzz softly beside her.

“Hello?”

“Girl, you need to get over here right now! I have BIG news!”

Marinette rolled her eyes as she let out a chuckle.

“I’ll be there in 5.”

Grabbing her purse, she slipped out of the bakery and made her way to Alya’s apartment. The two had remained close over the years. Once Alya lost the chance at her dream internship due to Lila’s lies, she quickly came to piece together everything the girl had done through the years.

Marinette reached the complex, knocking swiftly on Alya’s door. It flung open to show her best friend almost vibrating with excitement.

“Girl you are going to love me!”

She grabbed Marinette’s wrist, yanking her inside.

“Alya, what’s this all about?”

On the couch sat Nino and Adrien, both beaming brightly at the girls.

“So, you remember how we all told you that your designs are killer? And that you should be advertising for a more permanent position?”  
Marinette simply nodded, almost scared to hear where this was going. She loved her small gigs. An album design for Jagged here, a stage outfit for Clara there. And don’t even get her started on wedding season; the amount of bridesmaid dresses and wedding gowns was almost overwhelming. It was enough money to save up while she took online classes to raise her credibility as a business owner. Permanent seemed so far into the future.

“Your parents agreed with us, so I filled out several applications for several jobs, some even overseas! You’ll never guess who replied back!”

Alya was shaking with anticipation as Adrien cut in.

“Wayne Enterprises wants you to intern as their personal stylists and tailor! It’s only a six week program and if they like you, they’ll offer you a full-time position.”

Adiren and Alya both took a step forward as Marinette paled and stumbled. Her breath quickened as her vision began to blur.

“Me? They want me?”

“Yes girl! They were beyond impressed with your work and your recommendations! The plane is ready to leave tomorrow, you just have to email them back your acceptance today.”

Alya laid a gentle hand on her friend’s shoulder as she and Adrien lowered Marinette into the armchair. She could sense the panic rolling off of her in waves.

“What about my parent’s bakery? I can’t leave them alone.”

“Dudette, they’ve been hosting interviews all week. They hired two part timers yesterday.”

Nino moved closer to kneel in front of Marinette as she worked on steadying her breathing.

“What about living? Food? Fabric? There’s just so many expenses that I cannot afford. I have some money saved up, but it’s for my future, not to blow through right now!”

Adrien shook his head as he grabbed her hand.

“The internship covers a three bedroom apartment close to Wayne Manor so that you can be close in proximity and in the safer part of Gotham. I’m sure they will cover whatever expenses you need to make THEIR clothes. Also, I wouldn’t worry about food, because we’ll be coming with you.”

Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed as she took in all the information. On one hand, they had every little thing planned out. She would get the chance to see if she could really make it as a personal designer and she wouldn’t be alone! Her best friends would be with her throughout the six weeks. However, would being a personal stylist for one family be enough? She never wanted to limit herself, in fact, that’s why she wanted to open her own business. Taking on multiple commissions and selling her own designs. Could she still go after her dream if she took on a permanent job?

The three friends shared a look during Marinette’s silence. It was obvious that she was spiraling, but it was hard to pull her out when she was like this. After a solid ten minutes, Alya stroked her friend’s face lightly trying to catch her attention.

“Marinette, girl, you still with us?”

She slowly nodded as her eyes came up to meet Alya’s.

“And my parents pushed this as well?”

Her voice was quiet and thoughtful as she stared at her friends. All three nodded slowly, waiting for her answer.

Marinette smiled softly as she began to nod.

“Okay then, where do I hit accept?”

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … .

Arriving at the airport, Marinette scanned the crowds for her three friends.

“Did you remember toothpaste dear? A charger that is adaptable? Extra underwear?”

Her face flushed as she whipped around to see her parents teary faces.

“Maman! Of course, I have everything I need and more thanks to both of you.”

“Oh Tom, she’s all grown up.”  
Her mom reached for a handkerchief to dab her eyes as her dad placed an arm around her shoulders.

“She really is. Go show those Waynes how great you are. Marinette-style.”

Marinette chuckled as she fist bumped her dad yelling ‘boo-ya!’.

Flight 478 Paris to Gotham will begin boarding in fifteen minutes. Flight 478 in fifteen minutes.

Her parents embraced her one last time as they let her run through the gates to her friends, all waving to the bakers as they turned to each other, excitement radiating off them. The next time they would hear from their daughter would be when she touched down in Gotham City.


	2. Chapter 2

Damian Wayne closed his laptop with a brief smirk. He had received the answer he hoped for from the designer in Paris. In less than 24 hours, she would be in Gotham City and he would be in possession of a favor from none other than Tim Drake himself. 

Two months ago, they both bet that the first one of them to discover the identity of MDC and bring her to Gotham won a favor from the other. While he was skeptical at first considering Drake’s skill set, he also knew that a favor from his brother was priceless.

“Demon spawn, do you have those papers I need for today’s meeting?”

Speaking of the devil, Drake leaned against his office doorway, a cup of coffee in hand, hair pointing in multiple directions as the black circles he called eyes bored straight into Damian’s. 

“They were on your desk this morning Drake; Are you behind on your caffeine today? You usually are much more organized.”

Tim raised his eyebrows as he grunted and turned toward his office. Damian exhaled as he slid his laptop into his briefcase. He had much to prep before the designer arrived in the morning. 

… … … … … … … … … … … .

When the plane touched down in Gotham’s airport, Marinette released a breath she had been holding since they left. This was real. This was happening. She was really in Gotham.

“How are you feeling?”

Adrien brushed her shoulder with a small smile, trying to ease his best friends nerves. 

“Terrified if I’m being honest. I keep trying to convince myself that this is really happening.”

“Marinette, you’ve faced multiple akumas. Hey, you’ve faced my father. You’ve designed for multiple stars and shown down Lila Rossi. You can handle the Waynes, piece of cake.”

She shot him a grateful smile. After they defeated Hawkmoth, they finally decided to reveal their identities to each other. It was a blessing for both as they found a friendship that surpassed anything else in the world. There was an awkward period where they tried to date, but both decided the friendship surpassed any risk of dating. It was also confirmed on Adrien’s 21st birthday when the words Blonde, my favorite, appeared on his neck.

“Right, piece of cake.”

As they collected their baggage, the four friends made their way to the exit. There stood an older gentleman with a sign that read Marinette Dupen-Chang standing next to a luxury limo. They all inhaled sharply as Alya let out a short squeal.

“Girl, this is going to be an exciting six weeks!”

Alya looped her arm through Marinette’s as she dragged her towards the man.

“Miss Marinette I presume?”

His kind smile reached his eyes as he offered his hand to take her bags. She nodded in return.

“Yes sir, and may I ask your name?”

“I am Alfred, butler and family friend of the Wayne’s. Pleased to meet you.”

His eyes turned to the three standing behind her.

“Friend of yours?”

“Is that alright? They do not have to stay in the apartment with me, they just didn’t want me to come to the States alone.”

Alfred smiled and nodded.

“Of course it’s alright. You have very thoughtful friends Miss Marinette. Please, allow me to take your bags.”

As he gathered their suitcases, the door to the limo opened and a man stepped out. Marinette’s breath hitched as she took in the man in front of her. He was put together very nicely, hair slicked back, clean shaven, and beautiful emerald eyes staring her down. He smiled as he offered her his hand.

“Miss Dupen-Chang? I am Damian Wayne. Your profile was most impressive. I am honored you accepted my offer.”

Marinette felt her whole face go red as she shook his hand firmly. 

“You honored? Sir, I cannot express enough how grateful I am for this opportunity. My friends really pushed me to get out there, but I never thought, I mean I never believed, I just-”

He chuckled as he put both hands in his pockets noticing the other three standing behind her. 

“I look forward to getting to know you all over the next six weeks.”

He reached to reopen the door but stopped as he stiffened staring past the group and into the open field of the airport. 

“Get in.”

His voice turned sharp and cold as he roughly shoved the designer into the limo, ushering her friends in before slamming the door. He shared a look with Alfred before running straight into the airport. The four friends shared a look as well, all nodding in agreement as Marinette slipped out the back side. 

Before she made it to the doors, she heard an alarm sound from inside as people began running toward the exit. She held the door open ushering people out as fast as she could. Once she was sure as many people as possible were out she ran in opening the box from her purse. 

“Trixx! I need a disguise, fast.”

The kwami nodded in understanding, closing their eyes tightly as Marinette transformed. She gasped as gunfire could be heard in the direction she was running. Turning the corner, she slid to a stop as she saw the scene unfolding in front of her. 

Damian Wayne was surrounded by four men with guns, all wrapped in vines turning them a sickly green color. 

“Ivy wants your father to give her an answer boy.”

One of the men poked his gun into the Wayne’s chest causing him to stumble a bit.

“You want to tell me what this is about?” 

The growl in his voice caused Marinette’s heart to skip a beat. She couldn’t waste a second. Detransforming, she caught Trixx, offering her a small snack. 

“Marinette! What are you doing?”

The harsh whispers matched the angry look on Trixx’s face. 

“I have a plan, but we have to act quickly.”

… … … … … … … … … … … . .

Damian had counted all the exits. These men are dangerous while under Ivy’s control, but they’re meant to scare, not to hurt. All he had to do was-

“What the fu-”

The men all turned their guns toward the bats flying from the ceiling. Damian’s eyes narrowed as dozens of rabid bats dove from the ceiling at the men. They shot in every direction, screaming as the bats latched onto their faces. He began to reach for a gun that had been dropped when he heard her. 

“Over here! Mr. Wayne! We have to go!”

His heart dropped as he saw the designer waving him down from the corner. Silently he cursed as he took off toward her, running away from the fight. He hates running from the fight.

“What are you doing?”

He didn’t mean to sound so harsh, he really didn’t, but she was a casualty he couldn’t afford. She scoffed as she grabbed his wrist running towards the limo parked outside.

“A weird way to say thank you if you ask me.”

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. As if he needed saving. But a small part of him was impressed. She ran into a situation, assessed the surroundings and waited for the right moment to offer her help. It was dumb, reckless, and dangerous, but still, impressive. 

As they slammed into the door, Alfred floored it away from the airport.

“Miss Dupen-Chang, while I appreciate the save, please do not feel the need to put yourself in unnecessary danger. Ivy might not be safe, but she is definitely not the worst I have faced in this city. I cannot have my personal designer dead now can I?”

He watched as she shared a look with her friends before nodding at him in agreement. He closed his eyes for a brief moment in thought. 

Just what exactly had happened in there?


	3. Chapter 3

The word apartment didn’t even begin to describe the building Marinette was standing in.

“I have to post this on my blog!”

Alya grabbed Nino’s arm as she dragged him off to tour the supposed apartment, filming everything in sight.

“Mr. Wayne, I couldn’t possibly accept this!” Marinette barely squeaked the words out as she turned in the entrance to face the man.

He smirked as he offered her his arm to walk her through the place.

“Nonsense. You need the best space to design clothes for me and my family, plus I’m sure you all would like your alone time at the end of the day. Three bedrooms, a design room, and a grand kitchen for baking as I read in your resume, is a favorite pastime of yours?”

She raised an eyebrow as she offered a smile to the Wayne. He was thoughtful and remembered something from her resume. But something was still off about him. What rich boy would run directly into danger? Wouldn’t his first thought be to run away?

“Thank you Mr. Wayne. It all truly means the world to me.”

“Please, call me Damian. And don’t thank me just yet. I still want a taste of your talent. How about tomorrow? I can send Alfred to pick you up and bring you to the manor. This way you can get everyone’s measurements and learn what I am expecting out of this internship.”

She nodded slightly as he dropped his arm and picked up her hand. Carefully, he placed a kiss on the back of her hand sending Marinette’s stomach into a flurry.

“Until tomorrow Miss Dupen-Chang.”

“Se-see-see ya”

She managed an awkward wave as he backed out the front door, pulling it closed behind him.

“Marinette?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re still waving.”

Marinette flushed red as she dropped her hand quickly, turning to face her laughing friend. Adrien wiped a tear from his eye as he sat at the dining room table.

“I thought you were well past the stuttering around cute guys phase.”

She groaned as she threw her head into her hands.

“I know!” she groaned. “But he might be my boss! And there’s nothing romantic between us, for sure. In fact, there’s something off about him.”

Adrien nodded in agreement.

“It was weird how he knew something was off in the airport before any alarm sounded. Also, didn’t the guys say something to him?”

Marinette looked up, her eyebrows furrowing.

“They did. Something about Ivy wanting an answer from his father, but hasn’t Bruce Wayne been missing for some time now?”

Adrien shrugged his shoulders.

“It wouldn’t be the first time a rich billionaire disappeared from society. My father did it successfully for a while. Maybe he is in Wayne Manor, taking a break from society.”

Marinette sighed and nodded. It made sense. There was never a funeral for Bruce Wayne, only an announcement that his adoptive son Tim Drake-Wayne and his biological one Damian Wayne would be taking over his company while he stepped away for a minute. However, that minute turned into two years, and everyone began to assume that something happened to the billionaire.

“Girl, we need to tour the city. Like, now.”

Alya was beaming as she grabbed Marinette’s hand. Nino grabbed the keys off the kitchen counter and nodded in agreement. Sighing, Marinette shot a smile at Adrien as the two got up, excited to see Marinette’s possible new home.

… … … … … … … … … … … … . .  
Damian sighed as he slipped into the chair in front of the bat monitors. Alfred jumped into his lap, purring and demanding his attention.

“What do you think Alfred? What happened earlier? What has my father gotten himself into?”

The cat simply purred as he butted his head into Damian’s chest.

“Perhaps Master Damian, your father could be of some assistance?”

Damian turned to face the butler, rubbing his chin in thought.

“Perhaps Alfred, but he has yet to return any of my messages in the past month. I am concerned he has gotten into something he cannot handle.”

Alfred nodded in thought as he placed a tray of tea beside the young man, gathering the cat into his arms.

“I have known Master Bruce for quite some time, Master Damian. And while he has been in many tough situations before, he has never once disappointed. He is hard-headed, intelligent and strong. He may push his limits, but more times than not, he knows when to ask for help. I would not be too concerned.”

Damian turned back toward the monitors as he sighed. Deep down, he knew Alfred was right, but part of him still itched to know what was happening and where his father might be. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice the footsteps approaching from behind.

“What happened today Damian?”

He whipped around, swinging his katana, stopping short at his assailant’s neck.

“Grayson, you should know better than to sneak up on a man in thought.”

Dick laughed dryly as he pushed the katana down and stepped closer.

“You’re getting soft Damian. A couple years ago, you would have never allowed me to get this close.”

Damian let out a soft growl as he put his weapon down.

“What do you want?”

“I just want to know what happened today. It was all over the news, ‘Damian Wayne held captive at the airport, saved by mysterious beauty.’”

Damian pulled up the article on the monitors staring at the blurry picture of Marinette pulling him towards the limo and away from the men. He sighed as he turned back to face Dick. Of course there was paparazzi. He tried so hard to stay out of the limelight, but when his father left it, he was thrust into it. Luckily, they didn’t catch the young designer’s face. This wasn’t how he wanted to introduce her.

“Some of Ivy’s lackeys spotted me at the airport. It was almost as if they knew where I was and when. Before they reached the limo, I dashed into the airport to keep them contained. They wanted father, but for what, I do not know.”

He looked down in thought as Dick took in the information.

“What are you leaving out?”

Damian met his eyes as Dick stared down at him with his arms crossed.

“There was an-” he paused to think of the right words, “odd occurrence that allowed for my escape. One moment, I was surrounded, the next, approximately two dozen bats were dive bombing the men. Not once did they touch me, and they seemed to be invincible as when the men shot at them, they still continued attacking.”

Dick looked stunned as he searched Damian for any sign of humor, anything that might sound like a joke. When he didn’t find anything, he finally spoke.

“Bats. In the airport. Scratch that. Invincible bats in the airport who protected you.”

Damian simply nodded. He knew how it sounded, hell, he knew how it looked too. There was no straight or logical answer he could think of.

“At first I thought perhaps father sent drones to protect me, but there was no whir of machinery. They moved and sounded like live bats, but they appeared out of nowhere. Unless he figured out a way to weaponize the animal, I have nothing.”

Before Dick could even respond, the static of the police radio sounded through the batcave.

“We need backup at Gotham Green House, stat. Possible hostage situation. They’re demanding to speak to Bruce Wayne.”

The two Waynes shared a look before they took off. Magical bats could wait, someone needed their help.


	4. Chapter 4

The day had started off rough, but Gotham’s beauty was making up more than enough for the morning. Marinette jotted down many notes and sketch ideas as inspiration flooded her mind. The architecture, the Gothic styles, was beyond stunning. They made their way through the streets, the mall, and had ended their tour in the gardens where Marinette took a moment to sketch out a few ideas for the Waynes based off their city.

Her friends had stepped into the greenhouse while she took a few moments for herself. They knew that once she started sketching, the world faded out of existence and no one could break that.

Alya leaned in to Nino’s side as they walked around the garden. Adrien glanced over longingly as he walked behind the couple. He knew that he and Marinette weren’t meant to be, but it didn’t stop him from pining over his former partner. He was in love with the idea of her for so long, so when he finally got the chance to date her, he pushed too far too fast. He knew their relationship dying out was his fault. He knew that. And when his 21st birthday hit, he couldn’t even admit to himself that he was disappointed when his soul phrase wasn’t the first thing out of Marinette’s mouth that night when he saw her.

He cleared his throat to catch the attention of the couple in front of him.

“Has Marinette shared with either of you what her soul phrase is? Her birthday was yesterday, but with everything happening, I never caught the chance to ask.”

The couple shared a look confirming that Marinette had found time to tell Alya, who definitely told Nino.

“It was mad harsh dude. She’s a little broken up about it.”

Adiren raised his eyebrows at Nino’s comment. Could Marinette’s soulmate be a bad person? Would it mean that she would eventually want to try again?

Nino shook his head as he saw Adrien’s wheels start turning. He knew how his best friend felt about Marinette, but he also knew Marinette was a firm believer in soulmates. As long as Adrien had a chance to find his, she wouldn’t interfere.

“C’mon boys. Let’s go get our girl. Maybe we can convince her to let us take her out to dinner.”

They all turned to the exit but stopped in their tracks as all the doors around them slammed shut. Nino instinctively pulled Alya behind him as they all took defensive positions. Several ropes dropped from the ceiling as multiple men slid down, blocking every exit. People began screaming as they tried to run toward the elevator in the center only to find it broken down.

“No need to worry my beauties.”

Adrien’s head whipped up as a beautiful woman with red hair seemingly floated overhead. Her smile was intoxicating as vines grew from her and towards the people below. Realizing her intent, Adrien’s instinct kicked in as he ran forward knocking the closest person out the way as the vine wrapped around his arms yanking him into the air. He heard shouts from below, mostly from Alya as he was flung into the air to face the redhead from before.

“Sweet boy, if you wanted to volunteer to go first, you could’ve just asked.”

The woman grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss. He lost all of his senses as she pulled away with a smirk. All the feeling in his arms and legs had disappeared and he began to feel as though his entire body was shutting down. The vine released him as he fell into Nino and Alya’s arms.

“Attention GCPD, as I know you have the place surrounded. For every hour Bruce Wayne makes me wait, another person will fall victim to my intoxicating lips. But you have the power to save them! The boy has four hours until all of his internal organs shut down. My men have the remedy, but you must deliver me Bruce Wayne. Time is ticking.”

Adrien felt tears on his face as he looked up to meet Alya’s red eyes.

“It’s okay Adrien. Marinette will save us.”

He nodded as his vision began to darken. His lady always saves the day.

… … … … … … … … … …

Damian landed in a tree near the entrance, Nightwing on the other side of the greenhouse.

“What do you see?”

He heard slight static in the com before Nightwing gave him an answer.

“8 men with guns. Ivy is in the middle, sitting on a large vine, filing her nails? There seems to be two victims so far. A boy with blonde hair and a young girl, maybe ten.”

Damian’s face hardened. Ivy typically left young girls alone. Something had to be dire for her to attack. Just what had his father done? He was about to make his move when he heard a slight rustle in the trees above him. Casting a glance upward, he saw a young woman observing the scene, her mouth moving as if she was talking to another person. He had never seen her before and he knew of every hero and antihero that ran Gotham’s streets.

He was about to speak up when he heard commotion from below.

“What’s happening Nightwing?”

“The bats. Dude, the bats you described. They’re attacking the guards!”

Damian growled as he swung onto the top of the greenhouse. Ivy was busy trying to capture the bats with her vines, as she seemed to miss him and Nightwing making their way inside. With a shared look, they both nodded and dropped into different sections. One by one, they took down the guards, freeing the exits for the hostages.

“I asked for Bruce Wayne, not Batman!”

Damian barely moved in time as a vine burst through the ground trying to wrap around him.

“Ivy. Stop this. What do you want?”

She threw back her head laughing. Vines bursting from multiple spots trying to pin him down.

“That is between me and Bruce, Bats.”

He heard a grunt as he spared a look to his right. The last of the guards was out, but not by Nightwing. No, instead, a woman in a deep red, almost maroon suit with slight black accents was standing over the guards body. She turned her attention to the nearest hostage using what looked like a yoyo? to cut through the vines holding them. Offering her hand, she ushered several of them out the door before vines blocked the exit.

“Who’s your little friend Batman? She is positively annoying.”

Vines shot from the ground but the girl gracefully leapt out the way, landing in a defensive state as if ready to take on Ivy herself.

Damian turned his attention back to Ivy as he threw a batarang at her supporting vine. Ivy growled as she dropped to the ground. Her eyes darted behind Damian causing him to tense.

“No!,” she shouted as her hand shot out.

Damian raised her arms ready for an impact that never came. He risked a look behind him as Nightwing finished ushering the last hostage out before the vine slammed him into the wall.

“You Bats are ruining everything!”

Ivy’s normally pale face was turning red as she shot vines in every direction. Damian had a hard time dodging them as he tried to close the distance between him and Ivy. He ended up in a tree out of Ivy’s sight when he felt a presence land beside him. He looked beside him to spot the woman searching for an opening.

“Get out of here,” he growled the words at her, trying to scare her into submission, but it seemed as though he only shocked her.

“Move!”

Damian heard Nightwing’s cry as he tackled the woman out of the tree, both landing harshly on the ground below. The tree they were once in was split in two by a giant vine. She was still in shock as she stared at him with disbelief in her eyes.

“Nightwing, get her out of here.”

That seemed to snap her out of her trance as her face hardened. She pushed him to the side and swung her yoyo at Ivy, catching the woman off guard. Ivy fell backwards as the woman yanked forward sending Ivy flying straight into her fist, knocking her out.

A silence fell over the greenhouse. After a moment or two, Nightwing finally opened the door to let the police in. They immediately ran over and placed an inhibitor collar around Ivy’s neck. Damian turned to face the woman, only to see her swinging away.

“Dammit. Nightwing, finish this.”

Without waiting for his answer, Damaian swung after the girl, tackling her mid-air. They fell into a nearby bush, both rolling over until he had her pinned to the ground. Mustering all the anger he could, he glared at the woman beneath him.  
“Who. are. you?”

She looked at him with curiosity in his eyes before deciding to give him an answer that knocked him off guard.

“Your soulmate.”

With that, she kicked him hard and flipped backwards, before he had a chance to recover, she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Alya scanned the scene looking for her best friend. Nino had stayed with Adrien, while the paramedics were administering the cure for whatever that vixen had poisoned him with. Finally her eyes landed on the bluenette as she made a beeline for Alya.

“Girl, that was amazing! You got to work with the Bats! I wish I had remembered to film any of it, got a little distracted with Adrien dying and all.”

Her best friend, however, didn’t seem to share her excitement. In fact, she looked like she was about to be sick.

“What’s wrong?”

Marinette swallowed a few times before her eyes met Alya’s.

“My soulmate is Batman. Batman is my soulmate.”

… … … … … … … … … … … .

Damian Wayne was a lot of things. Intelligent? Extremely. Resourcive? Of course. Attractive? He supposed so. But above all he was a skeptic. There was no way the mystery woman would have been able to see his wrist. His suit made sure of it. But his soul phrase was a little too convenient for his liking. He had been on many dates before, all with women swearing to be his soulmate, so why would this be any different?

He heard the sound of a motorcycle entering the cave as he removed his mask to face Grayson.

“Dude, Where did you run off to? What was more important than the police?”

“The woman Grayson. The one that ‘assisted’ us in battle.”

Dick frowned as he stared hard at Damian.

“Well, who is she then?”

Damian’s frown deepened as he looked away.

“I wasn’t able to get her name. She caught me off guard.”

He was about to turn back to the monitors when Grayson busted out laughing. Anger rose to the young Wayne’s face as he stalked towards his adopted brother.

“What is so funny Grayson?”

Dick cleared his throat several times before he was able to speak again.

“We work with many beautiful women in skin tight suits, all with whom you pay no mind to, so what was so different about this girl that the great Damian Wayne could not catch her name?”

He turned away with a sigh.

“She spoke my soul phrase,” he mumbled.

Dick did a double take as he stared at the boy.

“She spoke your soul phrase?”

“Yes! But don’t think much of it Grayson. It’s a common misconception. ‘Your soulmate’ are two words that anyone could casually say.”

Dick nodded in thought, but even Damian could tell he was not convinced that this was an accident.

“Baby bird, what if it wasn’t though? There was no way she would have been able to see your wrist.”

“Enough Grayson, I am not some child that needs your coddling. She was just trying to catch me off guard so that she could escape. Besides, even if she was, why did she run? No, she’s not my soulmate, just a girl looking for an out.”

With that, Damian turned and stalked back to the monitors, determined to find everything he could about this new ‘hero’. He would never admit out loud, but the thought that she possibly could be his soulmate excited him for just a second, but no longer than that. In his line of work, people you attempted romantic antics with always ended up dead. Besides, it was all a coincidence and he couldn’t be convinced otherwise.

… … … … … … … … … …

Marinette stared absentmindedly at the apartment walls as she poked at the noodles in front of her. After Adrien’s incident from earlier, they all agreed to order take-out to allow him to rest as the paramedics suggested.

“Right Marinette?”

Her eyes focused on Adrien who was smiling at her, head tilted with curiosity.

“I’m sorry, what was the question?”

“If we go get our American license tomorrow, we can purchase alcohol to really celebrate your birthday.”

“Oh. Yeah, definitely.”

She tried to muster a smile, but her friends saw straight through it.

“Dudette, what’s up? You’ve been out of it since your battle earlier.”

Alya shoved some more noodles in her mouth trying to avoid answering for Marinette. She didn’t mean to keep this secret from her boyfriend, she always told him everything. But since they got back, she didn’t want to leave her best friend alone who was obviously trying to avoid spiraling.

Marinette sighed before she pushed back her chair, making her way to the dishwasher to put away her plate. She knew her friends were waiting for an answer, but she’s just not sure they would understand how she felt.  
Finally, she returned to her seat.

“I met my soulmate today.”

Cheers exploded from the table, even a weak one from Alya who already knew.

“What’s he like? Or she? Totally no room to judge here.”

“We didn’t get the chance to talk much. He was busy in the whole commotion.”

Adrien’s eyes widened as he made the connection.

“Was it one of the superheroes?”

Marinette flinched and confirmed his suspicions. Nino and Alya shared a look before getting up from the table to put their dishes away as well. Adrien remembered what the couple had told him earlier and took the chance to reach over and place his hand on top of Marinette’s.

“You don’t have to tell us right now. Or at all. I’m very happy for you though and I hope you get to learn more about them while we’re here.”

Marinette shot him a weak smile before standing up from the table, announcing she was going to bed early considering her first day of work started bright and early. The three friends nodded as they all stayed sitting at the table, waiting for her to shut her bedroom door.

“Dude, how are you feeling?”

Nino and Alya turned their attention to their friend sitting at the head of the table. He flushed red before answering.

“Feeling? I’m feeling happy for Marinette. I mean her soulmate? That’s a big deal for her, it’s all she ever wanted.”

The couple shared a look, an antic Adrien hated sometimes, before dropping the topic. The three friends talked lightly before all deciding to head to bed as well.

As Adrien stared at the ceiling, he couldn’t sort his emotions out. Sure, he really was happy for Marinette. She deserved a soulmate. At the same time, he couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling of disappointment. Any chance he might have with the love of his life was diminished now that she found her other half. It felt like it crushed his soul.

One thing was certain though, he wasn’t going to be able to sleep tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

Marinette was anxious to say the least. She waited outside the apartment complex, constantly smoothing her skirt or picking nonexistent hairs off her shirt. Alya convinced her to wear a button down white blouse, a maroon pencil skirt with a thin black belt, and black heels. It felt like too much, but her best friend had insisted that she had to look professional for her first professional job. She helped Marinette pull her hair into a tight bun and apply some light make-up.

“Don’t worry Marinette! They’ll love you!”

Marinette beamed down at her purse where Tikki popped their head out of. The kwami had insisted on coming with the girl after a long night of calming her nerves.

“Hide Tikki!”

A car pulled up as Alfred stepped out to greet the young designer.

“Miss Dupen-Chang. Pleasure to see you this morning. Are you prepared for the day?”

Marinette nodded as she accepted Alfred’s help to enter the backseat. Her heart started pounding. She felt light pressure from her purse as Tikki tried to comfort the girl. She smiled lightly. Today was the first day of something hopefully permanent. 

… … … … … … … … … … … .

Damian paced the hallway as he waited for his brothers to finish getting ready.

“What’s the problem baby bird?”

He paused, rolling his eyes at the nickname before turning to face his sister-in-law.

“Barbara, I haven’t been the Robin in two years now. I’m 22, not a mere child anymore.”

She let out a short laugh before placing her arm around his shoulders. The height difference between them drew a small chuckle from the man before he slipped away.

“What I mean is, doesn’t Alfred take care of tears in your clothes? And what happened to the last stylist you all had? What’s the need to bring this new woman in and all the way from Paris?”

Damian shook his head. Aside from Drake, Barbara was the next best detective in this family, even above himself, though he would never admit that.

“If you must know, she will win a bet, leaving Drake in my hands. Besides, Alfred deserves the extra help, and the last stylist went behind our back to the paparazzi about all of our personal information, tipping them off to raise her own popularity. That is something I do not tolerate.”

Barbara nodded thoughtfully, clearly still riddled with questions, but alas, he was saved by none other than Alfred opening the front door. He plastered on a smile as he made his way forward, Barbara following suit. 

“Miss Marinette, thank you so much for coming today. Everyone you will be designing for will be arriving shortly.”

He picked up her hand offering a small kiss to welcome her, earning a giggle from the girl. Both Alfred and Barbara raised their eyebrows at the antic, but neither said a word. It was definitely a conversation for later.

“Alfred, Barbara, could you gather the others please and have them meet us in the library?”

“Of course Master Damian.”

Damian offered his arm to Marinette as he started a brief tour of the manor. He showed her the kitchen, dining room, parlor and the hall to the bedrooms.

“And finally, this would be the library.”

Pushing open the door, he revealed all of his adopted brothers and Barbara waiting to meet the young designer. They all rushed forward to crowd the two only to be stopped by Damian raising his hand. 

“One at a time, we’re not savages here.”

He gave his siblings a hardened look while Marinette just smiled. She loved the idea of a big family for this reason exactly. They were all trying to keep a professional aura around her, but she could tell they were all bursting with personality that she couldn’t wait to tap into. 

The first to step forward was a tall, lean man with dark hair and blue eyes. One look at his outfit and Marinette could tell he was dressed by a woman. It was too put together for any man she had ever met. 

“I’m Richard Grayson, the oldest and best looking Wayne, but you can call me Dick.”

He smirked as the rest of the room objected. Reaching behind him, he offered his hand to the redhead Marinette saw from earlier. Pulling her beside him, he wrapped his arm around her waist confirming Marinette’s earlier theory.

“This is my beautiful wife, Barbara.”

Barbara smiled as she shook Marinette’s hand.

“I look forward to working with you Miss Dupen-Chang. Another girl around here is much needed.”

Marinette laughed as the next boy stepped forward, offering his hand.

“Jason, you won’t be seeing much of me. I try to attend as few gala’s as possible.”

“Noted.”

He smiled as he stepped back allowing the third and final brother to introduce himself.

“I’m Tim, the smartest Wayne. And the one you’ll be seeing the most of besides Damian of course.”

Another chorus of objections sounded through the room as Marinette couldn’t help but laugh. Damian turned to face her along with the rest of the room.

“How would you like to start Miss Marinette?”

She thought long and hard before deciding with measurements. The group nodded as they waited for her instruction. Boy, did she have her work cut out for her.

… … … … … … … … . . 

As Marinette waved goodbye, the batfamily dispersed, leaving Tim and Damian to talk.

“So Drake, what did you think of her?”

“She was very thorough. I was almost uncomfortable with some of the measurements.”

He shuddered, earning a small smile from Damian. As he walked toward his bedroom, Damian couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh. How unsuspecting was Drake, little did he know, he would be owing Damian very soon. 

… … … … … … … … …

“Tikki, can we go out? I think I need some fresh air to clear my head. I can’t even think straight even to create some test designs for the family.”

Tikki shook their head. 

“Marinette, it’s too dangerous to go out this late.”

“But not too dangerous for Ladybug?” 

She offered Tikki a sheepish smile as her eyes begged the tiny God. After a moment of consideration, Tikki finally gave in.

“On one condition. We made a new suit for Gotham to avoid any possible connection to Ladybug, so a new name is needed too.”

Marinette nodded with enthusiasm as she transformed and shot her yoyo at the window. Flying through the air, she breathed in the fresh air instantly calming her nerves. After a few minutes, she landed on the top of a large building, the last name Wayne written on the side. Sitting on the edge, she pulled out a sketchbook taking in the sites of Gotham. After a few moments, she finally put down her pencil.

“Are you going to keep watching me from the shadows, or are you going to join me?”

She risked a look behind her, hoping her instincts told her right. Sure enough, the Bat stepped out of the shadows and into the light.

“Impressive,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

Marinette shrugged as she turned her attention back to her sketchbook.

“Looking for inspiration I suppose. What are you doing?”

She heard a soft grunt as he crouched beside her, keeping a careful eye on the woman.

“Patrolling. Keeping an eye out for possible dangers, possible new dangers.”

Marinette could feel the threat directed at her, but she shook it off. She was a chosen, a powerful miraculous holder, and he was just a man in a bat costume. If it came down to it, she could easily take him.

“And you believe your own soulmate is a danger?”

She turned to look into the lifeless white eyes on his mask; the only thing she could read was his mouth which remained pressed into a tight line. After what seemed like forever, he finally spoke.

“Excuse me if I doubt you, but what proof do you have?”

She bit her lip. She could show him her wrist. He could confirm or deny if that was his eloquent handwriting on her body. He seemed to be thinking the same thing as he rubbed his wrist almost thoughtlessly. 

“I believe I do, but I would ask you to show the same thing. I don’t know if you’re willing to though.”

He turned his head away standing up quickly. 

“You need to tell me why you’re here. Gotham has it’s protector and it doesn’t need another. Especially one who doesn’t realize that this is more than just some game.”

Swinging around, Marinette glared at the man.

“I realize this isn’t a game. I’m not here to step on your toes Batman, but you cannot ask me to step aside when I see someone in danger.”

Before she could react, the man grabbed her wrist hauling her up and into his chest. Her eyes stared up holding that same level of fury, she would not be intimidated by this man, soulmate or not. 

“I’m not asking,” he growled. “I’m telling you.”

Her eyes narrowed as he dropped her wrist and turned to walk away. Before thinking it through, her feet took off running straight at the retreating figure. He turned to swing as she ducked out the way. She took advantage of his off balanceness and swung her leg at his ankles. He hit his back hard, letting out a grunt. Standing up she called for Tikki to remove her left sleeve. 

Shoving the script into his face, he took a minute to study it. Sighing, he finally sat up and removed his glove, rolling up his sleeve. Sure enough, in her handwriting ‘your soulmate’ adorned his left wrist as well. Neither said anything, both waiting for the other to speak first.

They never got the chance though, as the door to the roof access flew open. Both retreated into the shadows as the young CEO Tim Drake stepped onto the roof sipping a dark liquid out of a coffee mug. Marinette started to retreat when she felt a hand on her arm.

“If you’re not going to stay out the way, at least tell me what to call you.”

The girl thought for a moment before nodding.

“Call me Lady Rouge.” 

And with that, she leapt into the night.

“Did you get what you wanted?”

Damian turned to look at the young CEO. With a smirk he held up the sketchbook. 

“Lady Rouge is closer than we think.”


	7. Chapter 7

Alya woke early to the smell of fresh bread. Unwinding from Nino’s grasp, she tiptoed out the room and into the kitchen. There she confirmed her worst fear. Marinette was stress baking. 

They had officially been in Gotham for a week which meant her first design deadline was later that day. She had a minor setback as one of her smaller sketchbooks had gone missing, but luckily not the one with the family’s measurements. She would’ve been so embarrassed to go back and re-measure them.

“The bread smells good Mari.”

She looked up to see Alya leaning against the kitchen counter, sending her a worried smile. Marinette shook her head.

“I know what you’re thinking, but this is just nerves, not stress.”

Alya laughed as she picked up a filled croissant near her. 

“Whatever you tell yourself, girl. I know for a fact that stress cooking involves loads of bread, croissants and-”

She was cut off by the sound of a timer ending. Marinette reluctantly pulled out a tray of chocolate chip cookies sending Alya into another fit of laughter. 

“Okay! But what if they don’t like my designs? They thought I was just going to be patching their clothes and picking out pre-made designs. They didn’t understand why I needed so many measurements to just pick out clothing!”

Alya shook her head as she placed both hands on the girl’s shoulders.

“They would be insane to not love them. I promise, they will love it, they will love you. Hey, that Barbara girl already texts you regularly! Don’t you guys have like a girl date tonight?”

Marinette nodded feeling a little more confident in herself. 

“Now you need to go get ready. Isn’t Alfred going to be here in twenty minutes?”

The designer’s eyes widened before she made a beeline for her bedroom. Alya shook her head laughing as she reached for another croissant. Someone has to eat them right?

… … … … … … … … .

As Marinette arrived at the house, she found the whole family waiting for her, some bouncing with excitement. It only raised her nerves to see they had such high expectations for her. Barbara ran down the steps to engulf the younger girl in a tight hug.

“What do you need help with? We are all so excited to see what you have for us!”

She handed out dress bags to their respective owners as they all walked inside. She fiddled with the ring on her finger, terrified of what they were gonna say. 

“Please, walk us through what you’ve picked out for us.”

Damian gave her an encouraging smile as she stepped forward to help Tim open his bag first. His eyes widened as he saw the clothes underneath.

“Damian told me you all needed a casual outfit for outings like club openings or restaurants. Stuff you want to look nice for but not shoved in a stuffy suit.”

Jason nodded with enthusiasm. While he knows he looks good in a suit, it’s the most uncomfortable thing in the world.

“So, I designed you each something that I hope caters to your personalities. For you Tim, I have a simple blue sweater paired with dark jeans and a white undershirt. There is a small scarf that is optional and 100% your choice. While it seems dull, there are secret pockets sewed underneath the sweater’s hem to carry small protection like a taser, a small knife or even pepper spray as I know you all are often targeted in this city.”

Tim idled over his outfit, content with the simplicity, full of relief that it really was a comfort outfit embodied with style, not just another monkey suit. Plus the pockets would come in handy with his other life.

Marinette continued on, showing Jason his new leather jacket that was classy enough that his brothers couldn’t stop him from wearing it out. Dick was made a blazer that had the small embroidery of his wedding vows on the inside bringing tears to his eyes. Barbara was given a dress made of the softest cotton she had ever touched. It was black with golden embroidery of beautiful flowers along the bottom. Finally, she turned to Damian waiting for his reaction. She had made him a turtleneck, simple like Tim’s, as she was worried anything too fancy would not be appreciated. 

After a moment, Barbara broke the silence. 

“Did you really make all this by hand in a week’s time?”

They all turned to Marinette causing the young designer to squirm under their eyes. She nodded fidgeting with her ring once more. Suddenly, the room exploded with praise filling the girl with relief. 

“Wait.”

Her breath hitched as she turned to Tim who was staring intently at the stitching around his collar. 

“MDC?”

The wheels in his head started turning as he looked at the girl with a new light. 

“Yes. I am so sorry if you mind, it’s just, I always sign my work with my initials. It just avoids any copies and-”

She gasped as Tim grabbed her hand and dropped to one knee. 

“I am in love with your work. Ever since Jagged Stone came out in his first interview who his main designer was, I have been obsessed with finding you. Please, I am graced to be in your presence and in possession of an original.”

His head dropped to kiss her hand before dropping all the way to the floor, almost in a praising manor. She was panicking as she scanned the room for help, but was only met with laughter. 

“Tim, you’re scaring the poor girl!”

“Drake, pick up your dignity and stand up.”

Damian heaved his brother off the floor as Barbara moved to gather the girl into a hug. 

“You don’t understand! We are in the presence of a literal Goddess! You guys!”

Barbara laughed as she led Marinette out the room. The young designer hadn’t realized how popular she had grown overseas as she felt her face radiating from the heat.

“He’s not wrong,” Barbara whispered. “Your work is extraordinary. It deserves to be celebrated. Do you want to invite the friends you came with? We can go out tonight! We’ll just save our date for another night.”

She winked at Marinette sending the girl into a fit of giggles as they made their way to Barbara’s room to get ready. 

… … … … … … … … … .

As soon as he was sure the girls were in his room, Dick shut the library door turning toward his brothers. 

“Amazing clothes aside, does it match?”

Damian held up the sheet of measurements left in his garment bag and placed it on the table next to the sketchbook from the other night. With a sigh he rolled up his sleeve and placed his arm beside the other two. All three brothers gathered around the table and stared down. 

There was no doubt.

“Marinette Dupan-Chang is Lady Rouge. Marinette Dupan-Chang is my soulmate.”


	8. Chapter 8

The last thing Adrien wanted to do was go out with the Wayne’s. He met the youngest at a gala that his father forced him to attend and let him say, he wasn’t impressed. Damian ignored the people, made a short and pointed toast, and disappeared into the night. Not good etiquette if you asked him, but then again who was?

“You ready bro?” Nino wore his usual jeans and red ball cap, but Alya had forced him into a white button up shirt to look nicer.

Adrien nodded as he slipped on his leather jacket running a hand through his tousled hair. Marinette had texted them asking if they wanted to go to a club owned by Bruce Wayne. Her employers were inviting her out as a means of celebration and asked her friends as well. Personally, Adrien hated the idea. Work and pleasure never mixed. But Marinette asked him to and that’s all that mattered.

“Boys! The limo is downstairs! Let’s get a move on!”  
They both shook their heads as Nino threw his arm over his best friends shoulder leading him out the front door.  
… … … … … … … … . 

Damian was unsure what to do with this new information. On one hand, he knew nothing about the woman besides that she was a designer from Paris. He also had to maintain his secret identity, especially with his father unable to take back the mantle. However, the mere concept that he had a soulmate intrigued him. After everything that he had done, the people he had wronged, the lives he had taken, the universe rewarded him with a soulmate. It seemed too good to be true.

He spared a look at the girl sitting beside him. She seemed to radiate joy and beauty. She was small and innocent. It almost made him want to reconsider their conclusion, but he couldn’t. The handwriting was exactly the same. However, can he really damn the girl if she had similar handwriting to Lady Rouge? The more he stared at her, the harder it was to focus on the similarities between her and the heroine.

At first Dick has pointed out their similar body shapes and height, not to mention, they had the same length dark blue-black hair. But when they turned to Damian to confirm, the boy couldn’t bring himself to condemn the heroine to being his soulmate. No matter the tug in his gut or the headaches he got thinking about it, he wanted to believe there was a way out for the girl.

Now as they all crammed into a limo, waiting outside her apartment for her friends, he could pick up on his brother’s concern as they all whispered in the corner of the car, casually looking at the girl beside him.

The door opened as Marinette’s friends filed into the remaining space of the limo. The girl with the glasses took the other side of the designer as the two boys filed in front of them.

“Thanks dud- I mean sir for inviting us out tonight.”

The boy with the baseball cap fidgeted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation. Damian offered him a smile as he leaned forward.

“Please, just Damian is fine. You’re Nino right?”

The boy just nodded as he gulped. The girl beside Marinette laughed as she held out her hand, giving Damian a firm handshake.

“That is my boyfriend, not comfortable with this whole scene yet. The boy beside him is Adrien Agreste, model, very comfortable with this whole scene and I’m Alya, aspiring reporter deadset on focusing on Marinette’s fame when I finally convince her to claim the MDC mantle.”

Damian dropped his eyes to the blushing girl beside him.

“Alya, you know I’m not ready to do that. I want the brand to stand on its own so that I can open a shop and then I’ll consider it.”

“Whatever girl. I think you’re already there.”

The ride was brief as chatter filled the air from everyone besides Damian and Adrien. The two kept shooting looks at each other, almost as if they were sizing the other one up. As they filed out of the car, Adrien hung back catching Damian’s attention.

“Something bothering you Agreste?”

Adrien’s lips turned down as his eyebrows furrowed in thought. The others had reached the entrance and he saw Marinette glance back in worry.

“I don’t like this Wayne. She has a soulmate, something she’s wanted her entire life. You flirting with her and being on top of her 24/7 isn’t professional and not good for her emotions.”

Damian’s eyes narrowed at the shorter male.

“What exactly are you saying Agreste?”

“I’m saying back off.”

Adrien turned to catch up with the others missing the scowl that donned the other boy’s face. He thought he was flirting with her? Treating her like some second rate accessory? Does he know that she is his soulmate?

One thing was for sure. Nobody told Damian Wayne what to do.  
… … … … … … … … . .

Once inside, Marinette lost the group she came with quickly. The crowded club was dark and loud and the multitude of people bumped and grinded and dragged her away into the night.  
With a sigh, she pulled herself to the nearest wall, standing on the tip of her toes trying to catch sight of even one of them.

“Looking for something, little lady?”

Marinette whipped her head at the sound of the voice only to come face to face with a very drunk man. Easing a step back, her hand twitched toward the pocket in the dress she was wearing.

“Relax babe, I’m not here to hurt you, just wondering if you came with somebody tonight.”

He stumbled forward, backing Marinette straight into the wall. One of his hands rested beside her head while the other held a half empty beer bottle that he lifted to take another drag from. Carefully inching to her free side, Marinette offered the drunk man a pity smile.

“Thanks for your concern, but I’m just waiting on my date. In fact, I should probably go find them right now.”

She attempted to make a beeline but was stopped as the man gripped her arm pulling her back.

“I’m sure they can wait. Right now, you and me can have some fun.”

Marinette pulled as hard as she could as the man finished his bottle, dropping it to the floor.

“Let. go.”

She kept her voice level. She has dealt with this sort of thing before, but she really didn’t want to cause a scene. The man just laughed as he pushed her against the wall harder this time, grabbing her free wrist and pinning it above her head.

“I didn’t say we were done.”

He released her wrist long enough to attempt to pull down his zipper giving Marinette the opening she was looking for. Raising her foot, she slammed her heel into his foot causing the man to release her other arm to grab his foot. With all her might, she pushed the man backwards, causing him to stumble and fall on his butt. He stared up at her in disbelief.

“You bitc-”

“Is everything alright here?”  
Both of them whipped their heads to meet cool emerald eyes staring them down. Marinette shook her head no as the man slowly rose up.

“My girlfriend here is just throwing a fit, nothing I can’t handle sir. Get on your way.”

Marinette rolled her eyes as she watched the drunken man try to intimidate Damian. Damian simply nodded and snapped his fingers, alerting a guard to his location.

“Darnel, could you please escort this man out of the club? Remind him that we don’t take harassment lightly.”

The man scoffed as Darnel grabbed his arm, dragging him toward the exit. He let out a string of curses at Damian who only shook his head and turned back to where the young designer was still standing. Offering her a hand, he steadied her while she fixed her dress and shoes.

“Are you okay Miss Marinette?”

She nodded a small smile on her face.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle Mr. Wayne. You didn’t have to rush in to save me.”

Damian merely shook his head as he moved her hand to his arm, leading her back to their group.

“I believe you, but you don’t have to take on the world alone. I learned a long time ago that a little help is alright sometimes.”

Marinette flushed red as she touched her pocket, letting Tikki know that she was indeed fine.

… … … … … … … … … .  
Personally, Adiren was already having a pretty crappy night. Nino and Alya left him to go dancing with Dick and Barbara. Tim stepped out to take a business call and Damian and Marinette were nowhere to be found.

“Some friends huh?”

He turned his attention to the only person that stayed. He didn’t know how to read Jason Todd. He hadn’t spoken a single word all night, almost as if he was protesting just as hard as Adrien to this whole idea.

He simply nodded in agreement taking another swig from the beer Jason had bought him. The man leaned forward grabbing at Adrien’s jacket.

“Did Marinette make this as well?”

Adrien nodded, trying to shift his arm away from the uncomfortable grib Jason had on him. The boy seemed unfazed though as he turned Adrien’s arm over looking at the stitching. Finally he let go and sat back.

“She knows her stuff.”

Jason finished chugging his beer and announced he was grabbing another round. Adrien sighed as he continued sipping his. He was counting down the hours until they left the place. Sparing a glance at the dance floor, he caught sight of Damian escorting Marinette back to their table, her blush taking over her entire face. Adrien saw red as he slammed his bottle down and stood up to give this man a piece of his mind.

But then she laughed, stopping him in his tracks. It was beautiful and clear and meant for the man whose arm she gripped. Sighing he sat back down chugging the rest of his drink. Jason sat back down, following Adrien’s eyes to the two walking in their direction.

“You used to love her huh?”

Adrien sighed, picking up the new drink and sparing a brief nod in Jason’s direction.

“Always will,” and with that, he threw back his drink, attempting to numb the sight of his lady with another.


	9. Chapter 9

It was three o’clock in the morning. The group had arrived back at the apartment at two, bidding goodbyes to the Wayne’s and stumbling off to their respective rooms

Everyone was fast asleep, at least that’s what Adrien thought as he slipped into the kitchen to grab some water. The model couldn’t seem to sleep despite all the alcohol coursing through his system.

‘It was just a new bed’ he thought, but he knew he was lying to himself.

If he was being honest, it was seeing Marinette enjoying herself tonight with her new boss. They laughed and shared stories and sat way too close the entire night. He was jealous, but not of the new man. No, he was jealous of the fact that Marinette was openly flirting with him, not shaking his advances even though she met her soulmate. It’s something she refused to do with him the minute she realized he had a soulmate other than her.

Even after they broke up, they would still hang out, flirt, even go on patrol together. Just them. But that all changed on his 21st birthday. They had been chatting all night; she had stolen his attention away from everyone there. And then, the moment he had dreaded for so long happened. She saw his soulmate phrase peeking out the collar of his shirt and the look of regret burned in his mind.

After that day, they only went out in groups, she never let him know when she was going on patrol unless she could ensure one of the other heroes were with them, and she isolated herself from any advances he tried. Sighing, he pulled at his hair in frustration.

What was so different about this guy?

Turning to head back to his bedroom, he was caught off guard by the blinding light coming from under Marinette’s door. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed she turned on her lamp, but no lamp is that shade of pink. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he inched toward her room, easing open the door.

“Marinette?” he whispered.

Nothing. Her room was empty and the window was wide open. She was gone.

… … … … … … … … … … 

Flying through the air, Marinette found herself heading back toward the Wayne Enterprises building. If she saw him there before, surely he would pass there again right?

Spending a night with her employers was nice. They were great people and really knew how to party, but it felt off. She almost felt like she was cheating on her soulmate even if he never expressed wanting to pursue anything. But the more she thought about it, Damian never expressed wanting anything either. Sure he stepped in when that guy had her cornered and yeah they spent the whole night flirting, but she’s only known him for a week. Maybe he’s like that with every girl or maybe he was trying to be friendly.

Sighing, she landed on the roof, plopping down on the ledge from before. Twenty minutes had passed and she was ready to give up. Just as she rose to leave, the roof access opened up revealing the CEO himself.

Paralyzed they both stared about each other, unsure what to say. Marinette gulped as she fidgeted with her yoyo, ready to dart.

“I’m sorry Mr. Drake. I was just enjoying the view, I’ll be on my way now.”

He shook his head taking a few steps forward.

“It’s okay ma’am. I come up here all the time to catch a breath of fresh air or just take in the view as well. It calms the nerves.”

He took a long drag from the mug in his hand as the wind sent the heavenly smell in her direction. Her shoulders relaxed as she flashed the young boss a warm smile.

“Coffee isn’t good for calming the nerves.”

She pointed to the mug in his hand earning a laugh from him.

“True, but it’s a man’s best friend on those late nights.”

With a gesture of his hand, they both made their way to the edge, just resting and watching the nightlife move around below. She spared a glance over taking in his dark circles and wrinkled suit. It almost seemed as if he practically lived in his office.

“Are you alright Mr. Drake? This is a very late hour to be at the office.”

He simply shrugged.

“Work hours never stop, someone has to hold this place together.”

“I thought that’s what Bruce Wayne did?”

She bit her lip as she watched his posture stiffen. She knew she struck a nerve, but her curiosity was killing her. After a couple minutes passed, he finally turned towards the girl looking her up and down, almost as if deciding if she was trust-worthy or not.

“He left us two years ago. It’s a personal trip, something he didn’t even share with me, his partner.”

She could hear the bitterness in his voice and unconcisely she reached out to lay her hand softly on his shoulder. He tensed underneath her touch, but soon relaxed as he continued on.

“He only told his birth son where he was going, but nothing since. Neither of us have heard from him besides a text message here and there letting us know he’s alive. I mean, I can’t blame him. Damian and I have only shared the spotlight for two years now and it’s eating me alive. Everyone wants to criticize every little thing, that can tire a man who’s been doing it for over twenty years.”

“I understand more than you think.”

It was Tim’s turn to comfort the young girl as she spilled to him about the pressures of her civilian life and the criticism she faced as a hero at her home.

“I was so young when I started and everyone thought they knew better and could do better and sometimes I would agree, but I was the chosen, that’s not something you can just ignore. Believe me, I tried.”

She let out a dry laugh as she finally stood. Tim stood with her, looking out at the girl with a thoughtful expression.

“I have an early morning Mr. Drake, but thank you for the company tonight.”

He nodded offering her a friendly smile as she unwound her yo yo.

“Can I ask you a question Miss-?”

“Rouge. Lady Rouge.”

“Miss Rouge, did you happen to leave this the other day? One of my men picked it up and I could not figure out where it came from.”

Marinette inhaled sharply as she saw Tim hold up her sketchbook. Carefully she reached out and took it from him. As she flipped through the pages, she breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, she had not signed anything in this book. Her identity was still safe.

Nodding, she thanked the man before swinging off into the night. Tim watched her go, finishing the little coffee left in his cup. Reaching up, he pressed the earpiece.

“She took the sketchbook Bats.”

And with that, he turned to walk back into the office. There really was lots of work to do.


	10. Chapter 10

Damian took a deep breath as he entered the batcave. It had been two days since Lady Rouge took the bait. It had been two days since he’d seen Marinette. At first when he activated the tracker, Lady Rouge knew nothing of it. She had made a straight shot for the apartment that Marinette and her friends were sharing, but then she turned. After an hour of watching her swing across town with no clear direction, it was evident she found the tracker.

But that wasn’t even the worst part. Damian had stood up for one second, just one second to feed Batcow and when he turned back, the tracker was still. Zooming in on the location, he groaned with annoyance. The tracker had been left at none other than Wayne enterprises. It was becoming clear that if he wanted to find condemning evidence linking Marinette to Scarlet Rouge, he was going to have to get involved.

Slipping into his father’s suit, he slid into the batmobile. If face to face time was what it would take to gather evidence, then it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

… … … … … … … … … .

Nino wasn’t one for confrontation.

Sure, he protected his friends fiercely when they were in danger, but he was never one to initiate the fight. So you could imagine the awkwardness he felt as he took part in this ‘intervention’ as Adrien called it.

“Marinette you can’t become romantically involved with your boss!”

It had been an hour of Adrien and her bickering over whether Marinette was flirting with Damian or not. Now, Nino knew what this was really about and he had a feeling Marinette did too. She was fuming as Adrien tore into her about the consequences and her concern for her soulmate. Nino could feel the tensions high, but he knew Adrien had crossed a line. Before he could get a word out, she exploded.

“My concern? You’re worried about my concern for my soulmate? The soulmate who hasn’t made any effort to contact me besides a petty tracker? The soulmate that doesn’t trust me? The soulmate that doesn’t even seem to want me?”

Adrien winced as her eyes began to tear up. Nino stepped forward to wrap his friend in a hug, sending a pity look in Adrien’s direction.

“Dude, I think we all need some time to calm down here.”

“No.”

Marinette pushed herself out of his hug and wiped the tears from her eyes.

“What I need is for Adrien to stop acting like he owns me!”

Adrien stuttered trying to spit out a defense but he didn’t have a chance.

“What I need is for him to be my friend right now, not my ex-boyfriend. What I need is someone to talk to about my confused feelings. What I need is someone to be there when this does eventually blow up in my face. What I need is support, not jealousy.”

She spit the last line with venom as she walked straight out the front door, slamming it shut behind her. Adrien made a move toward the door only for Nino to grab his arm.

“Let me go Nino, I need to go apologize.”

Nino shook his head as he gripped tighter.

“You crossed a line bro. You know that she’s only ever wanted a soulmate and yeah, it’s great that she found hers but imagine how she feels. Marinette didn’t find her soulmate, Lady Rogue did. Same person or not, that’s gotta sting that she can only be with them under her alias right now.”

Adrien opened his mouth to defend himself only to close it, his face contorting into anger and then guilt. Nino took it as a sign to continue.

“Give her space my dude. If you can’t be the friend she needs right now while she tries to figure everything out, then remove yourself from the picture. She’s right. She doesn’t need a jealous ex-boyfriend, she needs her best friend.”

Adrien nodded, defeated. Nino let go of his grip and watched as his friend slinked back to his room. Alya took this moment to come out their room, still toweling her damp hair. She caught sight of Adrien shutting his door and turned to face her boyfriend, confused.

“What did I miss?”

… … … … … … … … … … … … …  
Marinette felt dumb as she wandered the darkening streets alone. If she needed some fresh air, she should have gone out as Lady Rouge, not Marinette. But this was Marinette’s problem, not Lady Rouge’s. She was so lost in thought, she didn’t even notice the body stopped in front of her.

Slamming into them, she fell backwards off-balance. Right before she hit the ground, she felt the person grip her wrist, yanking her back to standing position.

“I am so sorry sir, I didn’t see you there,” her voice cracked as she caught sight of blue eyes.

She felt the man laugh and she instantly recognized it.

“Jason?”

“What are you doing out here by yourself?”

She rubbed her arm gingerly, avoiding his eyes. After a moment or two, he nodded.

“Let’s grab some coffee.”  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … . .

Jason grabbed two coffees turning to find Marinette smushed in a corner booth, as far as she could from any one else in the shop. Sliding into the booth, the designer shot him a grateful smile taking a brief sip of the dark liquid. Jason scrunched up his nose.

“I never thought I would meet another person who takes it as dark as my brothers.”  
That earned him a brief giggle as she watched him pour half the sugar on the table into his drink.

“You feel up to talking now?”

She stiffened as she took another sip from her drink. He sighed as he stirred his concoction.

“You know, talking about it will make you feel better. I’ve been told that I’m excellent at keeping secrets.”

She nodded in thought before offering him a vague answer.

“I just got into a fight with one of my friends.”

He nodded, encouraging her to go on. Biting her lip, she tried to hold back the tears from falling as she spilled her guts to Jason. She told him how she had pined after Adrien for so long, only for them to date and fall apart. She told him how she couldn’t live up to his expectations and how it led to many fights. She told him how she was left heartbroken when she found out he had another soulmate, someone that wasn’t her. Sure, they fought and had a few problems, but so many people had told her that they were meant to be.

She told him how she came to Gotham and found her soulmate, only for them to want nothing to do with her and how Damian had been so nice, that she almost mistook him for flirting with her, something Adrien picked up on as well. She told him how Adrien accused her for not caring about her own soulmate even though they haven’t made an ounce of effort to getting to know her. By the time she was done, her eyes were so dry, not having anything left to cry.

Jason simply nodded, placing a hand over her own and offering her a napkin for the few tears still staining her cheeks.

“Do you want some advice?”

She thought about it for a moment before nodding slowly.

“Your soulmate is an idiot and probably just as scared as you about the whole thing. Give it some time, I know he’ll come around.”

“And Adrien?”

He met her eyes, seeing the hope and pain dancing in the blue orbs.

“He has his own things to work out. Until he does, you guys can’t be the friends you want to be, I would give him time too. Men have a tendency to want to fix everything right here, right now. If you force them to step back and think about it, sometimes that’s all the push they need. He obviously cares about you, he just has to decide if it can be as a friend and nothing else.”

She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by her phone buzzing beside her. Smiling sheepishly, she answered the call holding one finger up.

“I’m with Jason at the coffee spot near the apartment.”  
“Yes Damian’s brother Jason.”  
“No I don’t need you to come pick me up, I’ll be back soon.”  
“No, no, okay bye.”

She ended the call and stood up offering Jason a warm smile. He stood as well allowing her to give him a tight hug. Surprised, he barely got the chance to return the hug before she pulled back.

“Thank you Jason.”

“Anytime.”

Watching her walk out the shop with a small wave, he waited until she turned the corner before he pressed his earpiece.

“We need to talk. Now.”

… … … … … … … … … … … . .  
Damian had honed in on Jason’s location and was almost at the coffee shop when he was blinded by a pink light from the corner of his eye. Swinging the car into the nearest parking spot, he hopped out cautiously approaching the alley way. Before he could make it to the entrance, a red blur shot past him, swinging toward the center of town.

Unhooking his grapple, he quickly swung behind her.

“Todd? I will not be arriving at the coffee shop anytime soon. I spotted the target, pursuing right now.”

He heard static on the other side before Jason came in loud and clear.

“That’s what I want to talk to you about Demon Spawn.”

Damian scowled at the nickname as he continued following the heroine.

“Can’t you just be charming for once and try to get to know her without the tracking devices, research and any other weird anti-social approach you may have.”

He stopped swinging as he watched her land on none other than the Wayne Enterprises roof as she had every night for the past few days.

“What do you mean Todd? I have attempted to ‘get to know her’ as Grayson puts it.”

Jason sighed over the earpiece, annoying Damian further. What could he possibly want from him? He didn’t expect Batman to sit on the edge knitting friendship bracelets with this girl did he?

“Damian getting to know Marinette is not the same as Batman getting to know Lady Rouge. Besides the handwriting, and I quote, we have nothing condemning Marinette to being your soulmate.”

So he did expect Batman to knit friendship bracelets. He silenced his comm as he swung to the roof of his father’s company. She tensed up letting him know that she heard him approach. With a sigh, he walked toward the girl, swinging his legs over the edge to sit beside her. A moment passed, then two before the silence became overbearing.

“Do you like animals?”

Her head whipped toward his voice, clearly in shock as his questions. He met her eyes waiting for her answer. Slowly, she averted her eyes toward the city line.

“I love them.”

He nodded accepting her answer. They sat in silence for another moment before she asked him a question.

“What’s your favorite color?”

He smirked as they continued their game of asking light questions, learning things like her birthday, that she had no siblings, that she wasn’t from here. He almost could admit that he was enjoying himself until she asked a question that hit him hard.

“What do you want out of the soulmate bond?”

“Excuse me?”

She turned her whole body to face him now watching what little she could of his face. Damian hadn’t thought about it really. He was too concerned about trying to link the heroine to Marinette that he didn’t think about what he wanted from this.

“I mean I know not all soulmate bonds have to date and get married and live happily ever after. And I know secret identities are a problem, I mean you’re already trying to figure out mine and-”

Damian cut her off trying to deny her accusations but she simply pulled out her yoyo, sliding it open to reveal her torn sketchbook.

“A tracking device sewn into the cover, very inconspicuous, I almost missed it. And while you’re adjusting your questions to sound innocent, you keep throwing in ones that could help you identify me. My birth-date? My hometown? Do you think I’m dumb?”

He shook his head, attempting to defend himself, but she wasn’t done.

“All my life, I couldn’t wait to get my soulmate phrase. It was supposed to be my perfect match, someone to spend the rest of my life with. And I know, I romanticized it. You can’t fall in love with someone who doesn’t want to be in love, but I’ve given up so much for this bond. I left a guy waiting for me because our phrases didn’t match, granted that’s not the only reason but-”

Damian grabbed her hand catching her off guard from her rambling. She glared at his hand as if she was trying to move it with her mind. With his free hand, he gently guided her chin up to meet her eyes.

“I would like to get to know you. I don’t know what I want yet; everyone I have ever learned to care for has suffered. I don’t want to condemn you to a life of danger.”

He dropped his hands waiting for her response, watching her face contort from confusion to anger.

“I’m a Goddamn superhero! I have a magical suit that pretty much takes all the damage, I can hold my own, I have been for the past 8 years. I don’t need you to pretend to be protecting me! If you want to ‘get to know me’ then fine. I’m here every night as I’m sure you know. But don’t patronize me Batman.”

She unraveled her yo yo shooting it into the dark sky, and with a quick swing, she was gone.

“You sure do have a way with women.”

Damian turned around to scowl at his brother.

“Don’t you have work to do Drake.”

“Indeed. I think you should come inside though, what I found might interest you.”

They both turned to go inside, unaware of the set of eyes watching them from the shadows. Stepping out, Marinette placed the earpiece into her ear hanging onto every word spoken between the two boys.

Batman wanted to spy on her? Well fine, two can play at that game.


	11. Chapter 11

“I think I found Bruce.”

Damian stopped in his tracks as he slowly removed his helmet. Tim was buzzing with excitement as he sent a news article from his laptop to the projector. There was a reported explosion from Infinity Island, several islanders dead with many more severely injured. Damian inhaled sharply as he joined Tim behind the monitor.

“What are you implying Drake?” He felt his stomach sinking as Tim confirmed his worst fear.

“I think he is destroying the Lazarus Pits and he’s not alone. With the kind of damage he’s causing, it’s almost mystical but not quite.”

Pulling up multiple articles from the past two years, Damian saw the connection between multiple explosions all seemingly unrelated from the Alps to various locations of suspected Kobra hideouts. Tim enhanced one of the pictures pointing toward the right corner.

Squinting, Damian saw what had Tim so excited. A burned piece of vegetation, but not anything he’d ever seen in the Alps. No, this was definitely Ivy’s work.

“Father, what have you done?”

“My guess is that he couldn’t find a safe way to withstand the blast without some sort of magic or mystique help. He must have struck an offer with Ivy, but for what? She’s not exactly the kind of person to offer up her plants for sacrifice.”

Before he could speak, Tim swatted his back. Growling he turned around ready to fight as Tim bent down to pick up the pieces of what looked like a- ladybug?

Tim motioned him to be quiet as the broken bug began blinking. It attempted to take flight, but it’s wings were too damaged. The light shut off and the bug went lifeless in Drake’s hands.

“Looks like your girlfriend is more skilled than you give her credit for. This is short range though which means she’s more than likely on-”

He didn’t get a chance to finish as Damian pushed past him toward the roof access. Pulling on his helmet, he pushed open the door scanning the rooftop. Nothing. Tim joined him a second later letting out a low whistle.

“How much do you think she heard?”

Damian let out an annoyed sigh as he turned to re enter the building.

“Too much Drake. Too much.”  
… … … … . … … … … … … … …  
The next morning, Marinette woke to the sun beaming through her window. She groaned as she tried to turn over, pulling the blankets over her head.

“C’mon Marinette! You can’t avoid Adrien forever.”

She peaked out from her covers to see Tikki floating in front of her face, arms crossed.

“I’m not avoiding him Tikki. I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

It was true, to an extent. She didn’t exactly rest well after hearing the conversation between Batman and Tim Drake. She had heard of the Lazarus Pits thanks to Tikki. It was a wish gone wrong where someone demanded that Tikki and Plagg make the holder immortal. The holder was immortal in a sense, the pits restored any injury and could even bring someone back to life from the brink of death, but they had taken advantage of the gift. The holder bathed in the pits even when they were healthy, figuring it would be extra helpful, not heading Plagg’s warning. The holder lost their grip on reality, slipping into an insane state of mine, slowly devolving into a mindless corpse.

She shuddered remembering the story. It didn’t sit any better with her now as it did when Tikki first told her. But the real question was; What did Bruce Wayne want with them?

Pushing herself out of bed, she pulled on a sweatshirt before heading to the kitchen. Even though she had an idea of what was happening to the older Wayne now something still didn’t feel right.

“Hey girl, you’re up early, ya know, for you.”

Marinette stuck her tongue out at her friend as she pulled down a coffee cup, pouring a fresh cup.

“How’d your meet up go last night?”

Joining her friend on the couch, Marinette recounted the conversation she had with Batman about him wanting to try but worried about her getting her hurt.

“But you’re a superhero?”

“That’s what I told him! I also may have bugged him,” she took a long sip from her coffee watching Alya process the information. Shaking her head, the girl gave Marinette a light shove.

“Don’t mess with me girl. You hated it when you found out he bugged you.”

Marinette drank faster, avoiding Alya’s eyes. After a few moments, she heard her friend gasp.

“You really did it huh? What did you hear?”

She explained how the Bat had been working with Wayne Enterprises CEO Tim Drake and how they were looking for Bruce Wayne.

“Alya, Bruce Wayne is messing with some dark magic. Even trying to destroy those pits could prove fatal if he’s not protected properly.”

Alya nodded her head lost in thought. Suddenly, she leapt up and ran to her room. Marinette finished off her coffee before following the girl. She stood in the doorway as she watched Alya tear through piles of clothes and blankets in search.

“What are you looking for?”

“Aha!”

The girl sat on her bed as she pulled out her laptop from under the comforter. Patting the bed beside her, she opened up a file marked Marinette’s Soulmate. Inside were nearly a hundred pictures and articles of Batman marking nearly twenty years back. Marinette felt her stomach drop seeing some of the dates.

“When you finally met your soulmate, I spent the entire night researching him. His first appearance in Gotham was almost twenty some years ago. At first I was totally grossed out, but then I saw a gap.”

Marinette leaned over her friend’s shoulder as she pulled up an article labeled “Where is Batman?”.

“About two years ago, the Bat disappeared. He was gone for two months and everything went to hell. But then he was back, or so everyone thought. Nobody really questioned it, but when I watched some of his newer fighting styles, well, they’re different from Batman even five years ago.”

She pulled up two videos to show Marinette the difference. The older Batman videos were all about precision and accuracy, relying on large range weapons. Whereas the new one was all about close contact, even resulting in using what looked like a katana when needing a little range.

“So, what does this mean?”

Alya was almost vibrating with excitement as she pulled up a picture of Robin from two years ago. She pulled a picture of the new and old Batman up letting Marinette pick out the similarities between the three. Batman got shorter? It wasn’t by much, maybe two inches, but Marinette could tell. Alya was nodding as she watched her friend come to the same conclusion as her.

“The last Robin became the new Batman. The old Batman left the same time Bruce Wayne did. The new Batman is really Robin meaning..”  
“Bruce Wayne had to be the Batman that started off, leaving his mantle to someone he could trust, someone who wouldn’t raise a lot of suspicion. Someone like his partner.”

Alya proudly shut her laptop as she watched Marinette grasp at the new information.

“So Tim Drake must have known that his father was the Bat, he probably even knows who the new Bat is which is why he would be helping him find Bruce.”

Everything clicked as once as that feeling of uneasiness returned.

“Alya, I heard something last night. At first I thought it was static due to the distance, but looking at this, I don’t think it was.”

The girl stared at Marinette, motioning for her to continue., but the designer wasn’t sure she wanted to.

“The other day, Tim said something about Bruce only telling his birth son where he was going. His birth son being Damian.”

“Okay and?”

Marinette took a deep breath, secretly hoping she was wrong.

“Last night I heard Batman refer to Bruce Wayne as Father.”

Alya gripped her best friend’s shoulders, drawing the same conclusion the designer had.

“Alya, I think Batman is Damian Wayne.”


	12. Chapter 12

Damian was perplexed.

On one hand, if Marinette was Lady Rouge, she might know his secret identity and calling her could lead to severe consequences, including him confirming her suspicions. What if she leaked it to a news outlet? What if she told her friends who leaked it to a news outlet? What if she connected the other Bats with his family?

On the other hand, calling her could fish out what she does know, if that’s anything at all considering he’s not sure what his soulmate heard the other night. Plus, there was always the chance that Marinette had nothing to do with this new heroine. They could be two different people in general.

“You gonna call her brat?”

Damian rolled his eyes as he turned to face his brothers and Barbara all circled around him.

“You can use the excuse that the charity gala is coming up! Ask her to dinner at that fancy place downtown, pick her up in the convertible, wear a suit, it would be super romantic.”

He scowled at Dick who was continuing his perfect date night idea with Tim throwing in his advice every couple minutes.

“It’s not a date.”

Everyone was silent for a moment, giving Damian the peace to return to his dilema before they all burst into laughter. Jason stepped forward placing his hand on Damian’s shoulder.

“I hate to break it to you dude, but asking a girl to attend dinner, alone, even to supposedly gain evidence from her is a date.”

They all nodded in agreement, causing the youngest Wayne’s scowl to deepen. Picking up his phone, he hit Marinette’s contact waiting as the line rang. His siblings all leaned forward trying to catch anything they could.

“Marinette? I hope you’re doing well this afternoon. How have the patching’s gone for Jason’s jackets?”

He nodded, listening to her describe the work as he tried to escape from his siblings gaze. Stepping into his bedroom, he slammed the door to the protest of the others from the hallway. Placing her on speaker phone, he sat his phone down on his dresser and scooped up his cat from his bed.

“-so yeah. They should be ready by tomorrow morning.”

“That’s excellent. You are quick and adequate with your patches. It’s quite impressive.”

The girl stumbled over her words managing a quick thanks in the mayhem. Damain felt his mouth turn upward, almost in a smile. Almost.

“I was wondering if you were free tonight Miss Dupen-Chang.”

He heard a crash on the other end and a brief squeak. She cleared her throat before she responded.

“Like for dinner?”

“Exactly, like for dinner. I have a place downtown that will let me use their private dining area so we won’t be disturbed by paparazzi or the atmosphere. Do you have an evening gown? It is unfortunately a requirement to wear evening attire to step inside.”

The line was silent and for a moment, Damian was scared she might refuse.

“Is this a date? Are you asking me out? Cause that’s what it sounds like. Wait, no, scratch that. Forget I said anything, that was stupid. This is probably a business dinner, why on Earth would it be a date? Of course if it was a date, that would be fine, I’m not saying I don’t want to date you. God, Marinette please shut up.”

Damian chuckled as he felt heat rise to his cheeks.

“Can I pick you up at 7 Miss Dupen-Chang?”

“Yup, I mean yes, I mean I’ll see you then?”

“It’s a date.”

Hanging up, he heard an unearthly squeal from the other side of the door. Marching over, he swung the door open causing Tim and Dick to fall flat on their faces. Jason, Alfred and Barbara stood innocently in the back, pretending to have a conversation with each other and definitely not spying.

Lifting his head from the ground, Dick propped himself up with his elbow.

“So, what are you gonna wear?”

Jason scoffed at the younger Wayne.  
“Not a date my ass.”  
… … … … … … … … …  
Marinette stared at her reflection in the mirror. Alya insisted that she wore her hair down, even putting some waves in it for the girl. She begged the designer to do her make up for her, something Marinette barely did for herself.

“Girl, you should wear this one.”

Marinette turned to watch Alya pull out a delicate red gown that she had just finished last month. The designer sucked in a breath and began to shake her head.

“Alya, that is way too form-fitting. I was thinking something looser?”

Her face flushed red as Aya slipped the dress off it’s hanger handing it to the girl.

“You have a killer body. Be confident Marinette”

She turned to let the girl slip into the delicate material, only turning back to help her zip it up. Standing behind her, Alya let out a squeal as her best friend did a test turn to show off the final product.

“Oh girl, he is going to have a hard time keeping his hands off of you.”

“Alya!”

She laughed as she picked up Marinette’s phone checking the time. It was 7:00 on the dot. They heard a knock on the door causing the designer to stiffen up.

“Oh God, he’s here.”

“You’re gonna be fine. Look, the boys are out catching a movie so I’ll be here all night. If you need an out, just text me and I can get you out of there in ten seconds flat. But just relax and try to enjoy yourself! This could very well be your soulmate!”

Marinette took a deep breath as she reached to open the front door. Braving a smile, she met Damian’s eyes and mumbled out a small hey.

“You look stunning Miss Dupen-Chang.”

Reaching for her hand, he brought it up to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss.

“Have her home by 10 rich boy.”

He flashed a smile at her friend, nodding in agreement. Offering his arm, he looked expectantly at Marinette.

“Are you ready to go ?”

She nodded, red flushing her face as she took his arm, allowing him to lead her out the apartment.

… … … … … … …

It was going great until the snails came out. Marinette poked the closet one with a fork watching it wobble back and forth. She looked up to see Damian watching her with an amused expression.

“Is something wrong Miss Dupen-Chang? I was under the impression that escargot was a popular French hor d'oeuvre.”

She scrunched up her nose offering him an apologetic smile.

“It is, but I was never a fan of eating them. It’s slimy to me and weird, the texture is just odd.”

He nodded thoughtfully as he motioned the waiter over to take them away.

“Personally, I hate that the restaurant offers them. I’m vegetarian myself, ever since I adopted my cow ten years ago.”

“You have a cow?”

He nodded, leaning forward to show her a picture of his pet, scrolling to show her videos of Alfred the cat, his dog Titus and even his turkey Jerry.

“Jerry?” she laughed.

Damian nodded eagerly. “It fits him well.”

The two talked for hours, about their lives, friends, pets, what they wanted in life.  
“So your own shop is the goal?”

She nodded, taking a sip from her water.

“Don’t get me wrong. Designing for your family and patching clothes up the past two weeks has been fantastic. It’s giving me more time to perfect my craft and save up money, but one day, once I finally out myself as MDC, I want to sell my designs to the world, not just the commissions I receive.”

“What about you Mr. Wayne? I can’t imagine the business world is what you wanted to do all your life.”

He let out a dry laugh,

“It wasn’t but I never really had a choice. I couldn’t continue with what my mother wanted for me and my father offered to send me away to any school I wanted, but I couldn’t bear to leave Gotham behind, not when I knew I could help it. I may not have been born here, but I grew up here. My father taught me morals and helped me navigate through my issues, the least I could do was take on his legacy.”

This was the moment he was waiting for, he watched her face for any sign that she knew he was hinting at more than just owning a business. After a moment of silence, she gave him a heart warming smile, grabbing his hand that was resting on the table.

“We all have pressures to work through, personally I was asked to stay in Paris to take over a friend’s spot as Master. I had spent years training under him in defense mechanisms, and when it was his time to go, he donned the title master to me. It’s something I’ve been running from the past couple years.”

“Why run?”

Part of him knew this was the information he was looking for. But if she knew who he was, why was she volunteering the information so easily.

“A very bad man was targeting me, someone who’s in jail now, but it left me scarred. He wanted the title that my master had given me, and took many violent acts to try and kill me for it.”

Damian felt himself frown as he saw the pain in the girl’s eyes. What did the title Master grant her? This kind of behavior he had only seen in the League. Whenever someone wanted the power of those above them, they were allowed to try and kill their opponent for it. She didn’t strike him as a Leaguer, but something was for sure going on in Paris.

“You know you’re safe here Marinette. It may have only been two weeks, but my family and I are fiercely protective of you.”

She laughed as she slowly pulled her hand back to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Safe may be an overstatement. I’ve already been through two terrorist attacks, both linked to your family.”

She stuck out her tongue at him, causing his heart to skip a beat. He felt a bead of sweat on his forehead. What kind of magic did this girl possess? Did she poison him when he wasn’t looking? He gave her a cautious smile as he stood, offering her his hand.

“I hate to cut this evening short, but your friend did give me a curfew that happens to be in five minutes.”

Marinette rolled her eyes as she accepted his help standing.

“Alya can be a bit protective.”

“All your friends seem very protective of you. Makes me wonder what kind of girl you are to deserve all this attention.”

She smirkes, causing his heart to skip a beat again.

“Guess you’ll just have to find out.”

“I guess I will.”


	13. Chapter 13

As Marinette laid in bed, she was overwhelmed with her thoughts. She kept rolling over, unable to get comfortable, still replaying dinner in her mind.

“Tikki?” she whispered.

The kwamii stirred in their sleep, slowly rising to float in front of Marinette. Her face showed the concern she felt for her chosen.

“What’s wrong Marinette?”

Taking a shaky breath, the young designer pushed herself into a sitting position, drawing her knees into her chest.

“What is going on?”

The kwamii shook their head, watching her chosen’s eyes begin to water.

“You’re overwhelmed Marinette. Finding your soulmate can be a big deal, especially a soulmate living a double life.”

Marinette shook her head, refusing to let the tears slide down her face.

“It’s not just that Tikki. I was hiding my true self for so long from everyone and it hurt so bad. I was relieved when Hawkmoth was unmasked, it meant I could unmask too, at least to the people that mattered. I was me, fully me and it was a weight lifted from my chest.”

She gulped, trying to keep her voice steady as Tikki flew her a tissue from the bedside.

“Then there was Adrien. I loved him Tikki, I almost lost myself again in loving him. It felt like he just wanted Ladybug, just the strong aspects of me. He didn’t know how to handle Marinette with the stress, the klutz, the breakdowns. I was so willing to give up being Marinette because I had convinced myself that we had to be soulmates. And when I realized it, it was too late, my heart was shattered.”

Tikki flew forward to wipe away a tear that slipped from her eye. It hurt the tiny God feeling her chosen so broken.

“I thought we could still be friends after his soulmate phrase appeared, but it was just too hard. He wanted to ignore the fact that it wasn’t me and God so did I. Master Fu told me for years that the Black Cat and Ladybug were almost always soulmates, two parts of a whole. I had to abandon him to fix myself, but when I reached that point, I realized he never tried to get over me.”

“Gotham was supposed to be a new start, but then I run into my soulmate and here I am all over again Tikki. What if I’m wrong? I mean, if Damian was supposed to be my soulmate, then why didn’t he speak the phrase when I first saw him. Why did he only speak it when we were under masks?”

Tikki stared at Marinette, thinking hard. A second tear slipped out as the kwamii raced to stop it.

“Marinette, I’ve been thinking about that too. Responsibilities aside, you were always more yourself as Ladybug than you were as Marinette. Soulmate phrases are spoken between two people in their true form.”

The girl’s eyebrows furrowed as she tried to piece together what her kwamii said.

“But Marinette is my ‘true form’? I am me am I not? Ladybug was just a mask.”

Tikki frowned as they shook their head.

“Ladybug was more than a mask. She was an extension of you. She was what you wanted to be, she was who you were when the pressures of life couldn’t touch you. She was the part of you that you didn’t think you could be around your friends and family. She was the real Marinette.”

“So you’re saying that Batman is the real Damian? I have trouble believing that.”

Tikki sighed as they brought Marinette’s phone over to show her the latest picture on her camera roll. It was a photo she took during dinner, where she finally had gotten the man to laugh, not just a chuckle or a smirk, but a real laugh.

“Damian Wayne is an act he has to put on for the public. The chivalrous business man is just a front. When he’s Batman, he doesn’t have to put on a pretty face because his face is covered. He can help people, something he hinted at during your dinner. He can be coarse, hard-headed, and tough because he doesn’t have an image to uphold. The same pressures that caused you to fold in on yourself are the same one’s he faces.”

Marinette was silent for a minute, then two as a couple more tears slipped out.

“Could we ever be together outside the masks?

It came out as a whisper as her pleading eyes met Tikki’s. The kwamii rushed forward to hug their chosens face.  
“Oh Marinette, of course you can. You both just have to learn to be your true selves around each other. Tonight was a start, but you can’t break down walls in a day, soulmates or not.”

Marinette felt more tears slip as she gave up holding back. She choked on her sobs, terrified of waking the others as she held the kwamii close to her. It felt so good to let it out that she didn’t even notice the cool breeze from her open window or the sound of someone swinging away.

… … … … … … … … …  
Damian groaned as he slunk into the chair in front of the bat monitors. He knew that he would hurt his soulmate one day, but he always thought he could fix it. That’s what he did when there was a problem. He found a way to fix them. But how did he fix himself?

“Something troubling you baby bird?”

He turned in the chair to find Grayson leaning against the side of the computer, concern filling his eyes. Damian thought over his options; of everyone he could possibly talk to, Grayson was the most optimal option. With a sigh, he pulled out his phone to show Dick a picture he had taken at dinner. Marinette was bent over laughing, tears in the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall while she grabbed his arm for support.

Dick let out a low whistle.

“She’s gorgeous Damian.”

The boy nodded in thought as he turned his phone back to admire the photo one more time.

“But her looks aren’t what’s bothering you.”

“Grayson, I did something terrible tonight.”

Dick began to protest as Damian held up his hand. Pressing play on the monitor, an audio file popped on the screen.

“- Soulmate phrases are spoken between two people in their true form.”

He watched as Grayson’s face went from confusion to understanding to horror.

“Baby bird, you didn’t spy on her did you?”

Damian hung his head as he pressed stop on the recording.

“I had only meant to check on her during patrol. I just wanted to make sure she was okay, but then her window was open. When I moved closer to inspect, I saw this floating red thing. It was consoling her. I recorded the conversation to try and identify the object, but I realized too late that this is the condemning evidence we’ve been looking for.”

Dick moved forward to grip his brother’s shoulder. Damian looked up, with a feeling Dick hardly saw in his eyes. Regret.

“Regardless of how you got the information, you should be ecstatic baby bird! I mean, she’s an amazing girl, and someone who could join you on the frontlines if needed, you should be planning your wedding right now.”

He lightly shoved his shoulder, trying to draw a smile, a protest, any reaction really from the younger Wayne. But instead, Damian turned back to the screen to press play once more.

“- You both just have to learn to be your true selves around each other. Tonight was a start, but you can’t break down walls in a day, soulmates or not.”

He turned back to face Dick once more, his shoulders heavier than needed.

“You don’t understand Grayson. We’re only soulmates under the masks, we could never be anything more.”

“That’s not what I just heard-”

Damian waved his hand, dismissing Dick’s thought.

“It could never work, Grayson. If she knew my true self, all the murder I’ve commited over the years, all the wrongs I have done. If she saw even a fraction of the real me, she would run away.”

Dick grabbed Damian’s shoulders, forcing the younger boy to look him in the eyes.

“You’re not that person anymore baby bird. I’ve watched you grow from a pompous brat to a more bearable brat to a leader and overall great guy. Still a brat on occasion, but we’re getting there.”

Damian scoffed, avoiding Dick’s gaze.  
“My point, Damian, is that you are living in the past. You’re no longer that ten year old kid killing to prove yourself and begging for Bruce’s undivided attention. You’ve grown. The League will always be a part of you, but it’s how you chose to express it and grow with it that is your ‘true self’.”

Damian nodded, not fully convinced, but it was a start, and that’s all Dick had hoped for. As the younger boy turned to delete the recording, a thought surfaced that troubled the older one.

“Damian, did you say she had a red floating object talk to her?”


	14. Chapter 14

“Marinette.”

She felt someone stroke her hair softly as she snuggled tighter with her pillow.

“Marinette.”

This time was a little louder, the hand moved to give her shoulder a light shove. She stirred a little as she rolled over to face the direction the voice came from.

“Five more minutes?”

“Girl, get your butt out of bed. You have too much tea to spill to be sleeping this late.”

With a light chuckle and much effort, Marinette pushed herself up, swinging her legs over the edge. Alya offered her a croissant, shrugging when she refused, as the designer reminded the girl that they were days old.

“Still tastes good.”

Marinette wrinkled her nose in disgust as Alya stuck her tongue out.

“How’d your date go? Was it perfect? How was the restaurant?”

Marinette shook her head as she picked up a brush, running it through her hair.

“It was nice. The restaurant was super elegant and he managed to get us a table in the back room, with no one else. He said it was for privacy, make sure no paparazzi caught wind of him being out. It really allowed me to get to know him better.”

“And?”

The girl sent a glare to her friend sprawled across her bed.

“And, that was it. We ate and got to know each other, what did you expect?”

“I don’t know. Something? Literally anything. I mean did you see the way you two both looked last night. You’re telling me not even a goodbye kiss?”

Marinette shook her head with a brief smile.

“He was a perfect gentleman.”

She really tried to hide her disappointment in the statement, but she wasn’t fast enough.

“Aha! So you admit that you did want something to happen though?!”

Marinette sighed joining her friend on the bed.

“It’s not that Alya. It’s just, how did you know Nino was your soulmate? Like in a romantic way I guess.”

The girl shrugged as she propped herself up to look at her friend.

“You mean besides the matching soulmate phrases?”

“Yeah, was there a feeling? An instant connection? A spark?”

“It was different than anything I’ve ever felt before. When we tried dating when we were all 14, it was a strong draw. Even without your push, I would’ve tried eventually. It’s like I was drawn to him. When we split, I felt a numb pain in my heart, but it was bearable. Being friends was great, but it always felt like something was missing. On his 21st last year, I felt this buzz in the back of my head, almost pushing me to go talk to him. Ever since, it’s only been growing stronger. It can be literally painful to be away from him for too long.”

Marinette nodded, staring at her hands. She could feel the tears well up, but she refused to cry anymore.

“What if I don’t feel that way? It’s not that way with Damian or Batman. He’s attractive for sure, but it feels like the start of a crush, not a lifelong romance.”

Alya threw her arm around the smaller girl’s shoulders, pulling her into her chest.

“Not every connection is the same girl. Don’t compare your bond with mine, you’ll only be disappointed if it isn’t the same. Just give it time, you can’t build what took 8 years for me in two weeks, less if you count that you only just found out they were the same person.”

Marinette smiled as she turned into her friend, wrapping her arms around her torso.

“You’re pretty great you know?”

Alya laughed as she flipped her hair with her free hand.

“You know it girl.”

Just as they started to unwind, Marinette’s phone began to buzz on her bedside. Flopping over the mattress, she grabbed it, pressing it tight to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Miss Dupen-Chang, I trust you slept well last night?”

Marinette let out a squeak, motioning to Alya.

“Is that him?” she whispered.

The designer nodded, waving her free hand frantically as she hopped up, pacing the room.

“Marinette, are you still there?”

“Oh, oh, yes yes, I slept you and well?”

Alya facepalmed watching her friend turn flustered before taking the phone from her hand.

“I’m sorry Mr. Wayne, Marinette just got out the shower, she has to finish getting ready. Can I take a message?”

Marinette let out an inhuman sound as her face burned red. Alya sent her a wink holding up a finger to avoid interruption.

“Oh, I see, I apologize for the inconvenience. Could you see if she is available to come by Wayne Manor this afternoon? I have a new project for her that I forgot to mention at dinner last night.”

“Of course! She’ll be there at 3. Thank you Mr. Wayne and enjoy your morning.”

Alya hung up the phone tossing it on the bed.

“Alya!”

“What? Just messing with him. You have a meeting at Wayne Manor at 3 which just leads to one very important question.”

Marinette threw her face in her hands, mumbling an incoherent ‘what’ through her fingers.

“What are you going to wear?”  
… … … … … … … … … . .  
Damian stood outside, smoothing non-existent wrinkles from his turtleneck. Despite the scorching heat, he liked to cover his various scars leading him to a wardrobe consistent of almost all long sleeves.

“How’d your date go last night?”

“As if Grayson didn’t already tell you.”

Barbara looked up at the younger boy, eyebrows furrowed.

“You already told him? He held out on me!”

She crossed her arms, muttering some very unladylike things under her breath. Damian briefed a small smile. So Grayson could be trusted to not spill his guts, noted.

“Are you going to hold out on me as well?”

He spared a look at her brimming with excitement. Rolling his eyes, he opened his mouth only to be interrupted by the sound of a car approaching.

“I suppose I will be holding out on you as well.”

With a smug smile, he walked down the steps, leaving her to grudge behind him. The car pulled to a stop, allowing him to open the back door, offering the designer his hand to help her out.

“Miss Marinette.”

“Mr. Wayne.”

He frowned as she stuck out her tongue at him.

“Marinette!”

Barbara rushed forward, tearing the girl from his hand and embracing her tightly. The girl barely had time to return the hug before Barbara dropped her, grabbing her hand and dragging her up the steps.

“Everyone is so excited that you’re here. Just wait till Tim sees you, I promise he’s much calmer now.”

Alfred joined Damian at the end of the steps as he watched the door shut to the manor.

“Master Damian, if I should be so bold.”

Damian nodded, turning his attention to the butler.

“I’ve seen a lot of things in my life, but never one as sad as watching a grown man pine after a woman in his grasps. Your father waited too long with Miss Kyle and you saw where that left him. Master Tim waited too long with Miss Brown, another tragedy truly.”

“What’s your point Alfred?”

“My ‘point’ Master Damian, is that if you wait too long, you miss your chance. Soulmate or not, nobody wants to wait forever.”

Damian sighed as he started up the steps to the manor. 

But how could he fix himself to the point where she could be with him and not get hurt? The answer was: he couldn’t. He could flirt as Damian, but only Batman could be good enough for her and that’s all he would give her.


	15. Chapter 15

When Adrien woke up this morning, third wheeling was not his plan for the day. Yet somehow, he was being dragged to tour some museum that Nino thought would be cool. Why? He had no idea; Nino hated museums. The only thing he could think of was that his friends desperately wanted to get him out of the apartment, specifically, his room where he tried so hard to spend all his time in. 

“Dude, look at this cool contraption thingy.”

Adrien sighed as he looked up from his phone to what his friend was referencing to. It seemed to be a hydraulic suit, like an exoskeleton. It was formed to look like a snake, complete with a tail and everything. Looking around, Adrien noticed that they had made their way into a room full of Batman’s enemies.

There were playing cards, reconstructed bombs, a weird umbrella dissected, exoskeletons and so much more. 

“Nino, where are we?”

The boy turned around to find no one there.

“Great, alone again.”

Shoving his hands in his pocket, he turned to head toward the exit when the lights went out. Instinctively, he moved behind the closest exhibit, his hand moving toward his neck where he kept his ring hidden on a chain. 

A light thud was heard from above causing Adrien to look up. A small figure in all black had landed on the glass roof. Plagg flew out from the boy’s pocket taking in the scene.

“Kid has style, gotta give ‘em that.”

Adrien swatted his hand at Plagg, trying to silence the kwamii when a screeching sound rang through the room. Grabbing his ears, he turned back to see the small figure using what looked like claws?- to carve an entrance into the building. The figure stood up and with a big jump, they crashed through the ceiling, landing in front of the exhibit the boy was hiding behind. Standing up, they brushed off some of the dust they had gathered, and moved toward a smaller exhibit tucked in the back of the room. 

“Plagg, what do I do?” 

The kwamii simply shrugged, turning back to the retreating figure. 

“Enjoy the show?”

Adrien rolled his eyes as he crouched down, trying to move closer to the person without tipping them off. He watched as they lifted the case, pulling what seemed to be a pair of goggles from the stand. The person fastened the goggles into their belt before turning around, jogging back to where they had entered. 

Something felt off though, it was as if he couldn’t let them leave; not without a fight. Adjusting his feet, Adrien pounced onto the retreating figure, tackling them to the ground. 

“That doesn’t belong to you.”

He reached for the goggles but never got the chance to grab them. The person kicked hard off the ground, pushing backwards, and landed on top of the boy. Grabbing both his wrist, the figure pinned him to the ground, losing their hood in the process. 

Straddling him was a beautiful girl, her black hair pinned back in a tight bun, blue eyes shining brightly down on him in confusion, then understanding. It only lasts a second though as she sets her face in a confident smirk, leaning down til her nose almost touched Adrien’s. He could feel his heartbeat begin to rise as he felt her breathing tickle his nose. She let out a sound that almost sounded like a purr. 

“Blonde, my favorite.”

Sweeping in quickly, the girl placed a brief kiss on Adrien’s lips before leaping up, running towards the opening. Grabbing a grapple from her side, she turned to face him one last time. 

“Sorry to kiss and run love, but I have to get these,” she dangled the goggles, taunting him. “to a very important person.”

“No, wait!”

Adrien scrambled to his feet, running, but it was too late. She was gone. 

When the light’s flashed back on, three officers burst through the door, guns out and pointed at him. 

“Dude? Adrien, bro are you good?”

Nino and Alya pushed past the officers to race to the boys side. Alya was the first to hear the crunch of the glass as she paused to take in the scene. 

“Adrien, what happened here?”

But the boy couldn’t be bothered. His eyes were still glued to that hole in the ceiling, silently hoping the mystery girl would return.

… … … … … … … … .

Marinette had tried to leave, she really had, but after four hours of measuring and taking suggestions and offering rough sketches, tea sounded amazing. 

“Alfred, your tea is fantastic. It reminds me of an old friend who loved to brew. Yours though, gives him a run for his money.”

The older man gave her a warm smile, as he joined her at the small breakfast bar in the kitchen. 

“I appreciate your kind words Miss Marinette. You have excellent taste. I have the hardest time finding a true tea enthusiast.”

Damian scoffed from where he stood, leaning against the counter. 

“I appreciate your tea Alfred, you’re telling this woman lies.”

Marinette let out a giggle as she watched the two bicker about Damian’s interest in tea. It was nice to watch a family, it made her miss hers. Sure she had talked to them over the past two weeks, but it was a big change from seeing them everyday.

“Miss Marinette, would you care to stay for dinner?”

“I’m sure she would love to get home Alfred, it’s been a long day.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught her face fall for a second before she plastered a smile again.

“Damian is right, I would hate to intrude. You all have been so kind already, I couldn’t dare impose on your family dinner.”

Alfred shook his head sending a glare in Damian’s direction. 

“Nonsense, it would be quite a delight to have you. Master Tim and Master Jason have been begging to have you over for some time now.”

“Another day, I promise.”

The older man nodded as he reached for the keys on the counter. 

“Allow me to pull the car around, and I’ll bring you home.”

Marinette nodded as she followed him out the kitchen and into the hall. Damian watched as she gathered her purse and waved goodbye to his siblings. She turned to face him and he watched as she became smaller, hunching her shoulders over and looking at the ground. For a second, he regretted sending her off, but he had to keep a straight face. 

Opening the front door, he helped her down the stairs and into the car. 

“Until next time Marinette.”

He tried to ignore his racing heart and the smile he earned from the girl.

“Until then Damian.”

And just like that, she was gone, leaving the young man with the slight hope that he would indeed see her tonight.

… … … … … … … … … . .

Marinette unlocked the door to her apartment, the afternoon buzzing through her mind. Three suits, two ball gowns, two weeks to design, have them fitted and make adjustments. It was overwhelming. She was already picking through the fabrics she currently had, making notes along the way of what she would need to buy. An hour passed before she heard the door handle jiggle. 

“Hey, how was the mue-”

She was cut off by the sound of a door slamming.

“That good huh?”

Alya stood in the doorway shaking her head.

“Something happened Mari, he won’t talk to either of us. He barely said a word to the police, it took watching several security cameras from outside the museum to prove that he didn’t break in or steal anything.”

“Police?’

“Yeah, we thought Adrien was right behind us as we left the hall, but when Nino asked him a question, we realized he was gone. By the time we had made it to the hall of villains, the police were working on prying open the electric doors.”

Marinette sighed as she stood up, walking past the couple and down the hall.

“Dudette, do you think that’s a good idea?”

She reached for his doorknob before pausing, meeting Nino’s eyes.

“He’s still my friend Nino, I’ll always be there for him.”

Carefully, she pushed open the door, taking a few steps in. 

“Adrien?”

The boy was sitting on his bed in the dark, head in his hands. Shutting the door, Marinette made her way over to sit beside him. Tentatively she placed a hand on his back, lightly rubbing circles in a calming motion. They sat in silence, no words spoken as he leaned into her side. It started off softly, she almost missed the slight gasp for air as his tears fell harder. Moving her free hand to his hair, she began stroking it away from his face.

“Mon chaton, what’s wrong? Please, talk to me.”

He pulled himself out of her grasps, rubbing the tears from his face. Marinette turned her body to face him, grabbing his nearest hand. After a moment, he let out a shaky breath, meeting her eyes.

“I met her today. I met my soulmate.”

It was all he said, but she understood. She gave him a sad smile as his red eyes bore into hers. 

“I-I thought it was a cruel joke until now. I mean, we’re two halves of a whole, we were meant to be together.”

She slowly shook her head, reaching out to cup his cheek. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as he cherished the feeling of her skin touching his. 

“We weren’t Adrien. We were in love, but that’s not always enough.”

“It should’ve been enough.”

His words came out as a whisper causing her heart to ache for the boy. 

“You wanted only part of me Adrien. You loved me, but had no idea how to support me. And it’s not all on you. I put you on this pedestal of high expectations, something you had your entire life, it wasn’t fair to either of us.”

He shook his head, trying to convince himself that she was lying, but a small part of him knew it was true. She slowly pulled her hand from his cheek, the comfort coming with it. They continued staring at each other, both scared to look away. She knew the moment she turned away, it would be over, really over this time and she knew he felt it too. 

“What do we do now?”

She pulled her eyes away, almost guilty as relief flooded through her body. 

“You tell me about her, everything that happened today and we find her.”

“She had the prettiest blue eyes, almost like the sky Mari. Really dark hair, definitely black and definitely longer, she had to have in a bun to function. But she’s a thief Bug, I wouldn’t have the slightest idea of where to start looking.”

“What did she steal?”

His eyes widened as he pulled his hand away from Marinettes. Grabbing his phone, he pulled up a picture from the museum’s website. 

“Catwoman’s original goggles?”

Marinette raised an eyebrow as he nodded. A slow smirk grew on his face.

“You could say we’re dealing with a cat burglar huh?”

The designer let out a groan as she pushed him away. 

“Oh c'mon. That was great!”

“Far from it.”

They laughed together, genuine laughter, something they hadn’t done in a while. Nothing was forced, nothing felt out of place and for the first time in forever, the two were finally at peace.


	16. Chapter 16

Damian was a lot of things, but patient wasn’t always one of them. For two nights he waited for Lady Rouge on top of his father’s building and for two nights she didn’t show. He tried not to feel hurt, Marinette took on a big task and probably didn’t have time for such minor things like patrol, especially when she had other people to do it for her.

So when it hit 2 on that third night, he had given up any hope that she would come. He reached to his ear, ready to let the others know that he was continuing patrol when he heard the soft landing behind him.

“I thought I made it clear Selina, we don’t have anything to talk about.”

He turned to face the woman, his arms crossed. Sighing, she stepped forward, a smaller figure huddled behind her.

“We have a problem Damian.”

“WE have nothing Selina. You left my father, you left me, therefore you left behind any help I would ever give you.”

Damian reached for his earpiece, watching the small figure behind the woman closely.

“Nightwing, I have a problem at Wayne Enterprises, what’s your eta?”

“Five minutes Bats. Finishing up here.”

“Damian, please. I know I hurt you but-”

The man rushed forward, causing the small figure to jump in front of Selina, a crossbow pointed at his face. He paused, taking in the sight of the girl. She was wearing Selina’s original goggles, her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, a skin tight purple suit with white accents down the side and front.

“New sidekick Selina?”

“Damian, she’s what I wanted to talk to you about. This is Helena.”

“And why do I care?”

The girl stood with a smirk. She unloaded her crossbow, propping it on her shoulder.

“Because Damian, I’m your sister.”

His mouth gaped, searching for an answer. His eyes met Selina’s, only for the woman to look away.

“Is this true?” His voice came out as a whisper. When he didn’t receive an answer, he felt his anger rising as a sinking feeling appeared in his stomach.

“Is it true Selina?” It came out as a shout, causing the woman to flinch.

“Your father doesn’t know, and I was going to keep it that way, but she needs help and training; she needs something I can’t provide her with.”

“What makes you think I’ll help her?”

“Well baby bird, it’s not all your decision.”

His head whipped toward the voice. Dick was leaning on the edge, watching the scene unfold with a thoughtful expression. Damian felt his heart clench as his vision exploded in a red rage.

“You want to help this-this vixen Grayson? After everything she’s done to this family? This could just be some rouge to get back into the family, how do I even know she’s my sister? I don’t, I can’t!”

“I would be willing to give blood samples, saliva, urine, anything you need to prove to this douche that I’m real.”

“Those can be forged.”

“By your own computer?”

“Like, I’d ever let you into the Batcave.”

They both had taken steps forward, finally reaching the point where they were in each other’s faces. Damian’s scowl deepened as he tried to intimidate the smaller girl, only for her to smirk in return. Dick and Selina both stepped forward, pulling their respective partners back.

“Damian, you know it’s the only way.”

“Please Damian.” Selina’s eyes were pleading, something he rarely saw from the woman. For a brief moment, he felt sorry for exploding, but it was over the minute his eyes met the smaller girl beside her.

“My answer still stands, don’t bother asking again Selina. You and Helena have done quite well for yourselves without us, you don’t need us now.”

With that he swung off, leaving the three of them to watch his retreating figure. The older woman hung her head, fighting back the tears threatening to fall.

“C’mon mom, let’s get out of here. We’ll find him without their help.” She put as much venom as she could in her words, spitting them in Dick’s direction. The man stepped forward, placing a light touch on Selina’s shoulder.

“Selina, don’t listen to him. You and Bruce? That wasn’t your fault. He prioritized everything above you, and that wasn’t a fair way to treat your soulmate.”

She simply shook her head, shooting the oldest Wayne a brief smile.

“He’s stubborn, much like his father. It’s why I kept my pregnancy a secret for so long. He wasn’t in a spot to raise a kid and he wasn’t going to slow down or stop for one either. I got the help I needed though, and Damian’s right, I didn’t need him them, and I don’t now. I just wanted to do the right thing for once.”

“Mother, he doesn’t deserve an explanation, let’s just go. We’ll find my soulmate without their help.”

The woman nodded, giving Dick a tight hug.

“I’m sorry for everything. If you can convince him, here’s a vial of blood we had taken from her for testing. It’ll prove everything.”

Both women jumped off the roof, taking off into the night, leaving the oldest to examine the vial.

“You get that baby bird?”

Damian sighed as he watched from the nearby roof.

“Bring it to the cave, we’ll examine it tonight.”

“You don’t want to wait for Marinette?”

He viewed the skyline one last time before shaking his head.

“She’s not coming, Grayson. I’ll meet you there.”

… … … ……… … . .

Marinette opened her window to breathe in the fresh air. For three days, she had been working non-stop on the cutouts for her designs. She had begun the bodice for Barbara’s gown when her eyes started going cross, signaling that she needed a wake me up before doing anything else tonight. Leaning on the window sill, she watched the stars above trying to take in the brisk night air.  
She was about to turn away when she heard it. It was faint, but the sound of a grapple could be heard. Her heart began to race as she met Tikki’s eyes. The kwamii nodded with a knowing smile. With a quick transformation, Marinette swung her yo yo out the window in the direction of the sound. She stopped on a nearby roof, turning in every direction, trying to hear the sound again.

“I thought you spent every night at Wayne Enterprises.”

Whipping her head around, she found him on the edge of the roof, a smirk plastered on his face.

“I’ve had a busy couple of nights. My employer gave me a big project, can’t risk messing it up.”

She took a few steps in his direction, stopping only a foot away.

“Were you waiting on me?”

The man scoffed, averting his eyes so that she couldn’t see the truth. Her smile widened as she took another step closer.

“Did you miss me?”

“Hardly.”

She let out a small laugh as she finished closing the space between them.

“Then how’d you know I wasn’t there?”

“The CEO didn’t report a costumed freak sitting on his roof for the past three nighs.”

She feigned a hurt look as she placed her hand over her heart.

“A freak? Is that what you and Mr. Drake think of me?”

He tried to hold back a laugh as she carried out a dramatic sequence of hurt faces, failing miserably when she forced a fake tear to roll down one cheek. Checking his communicator, he saw that Grayson had beat him to the cave.

“As much as I would enjoy staying, I have to call this night short. There’s a very important task I have to take care of.”  
“Of course. I should get back to my work.”

“You should go to bed, your health is more important than any work your boss may have given you.”

She studied him with a thoughtful expression, as a smirk grew across her face.

“If my boss thinks I should get some sleep, then that’s what I’ll do.”

He tried quickly to sputter out a defense, but lost his words as she dove in quickly, pecking his cheek.

“See you soon mon âme sœur.”

His hand slowly reached up to touch his cheek as he watched her swing away.

“Hey you coming?”

Dick’s voice rang through his ear, but he couldn’t be bothered.

“She knows,” he whispered.

“Batman are you okay?”

“Yeah yeah, I’m on my way.”

His heart was racing as he made his way toward the manor. She finally confessed to what had been eating him up for the past week. He wanted to be frustrated with himself for not paying enough attention to his surroundings, but a part of him was relieved that she knew. It gave him hope that there was a chance, a chance he could really care about her, maybe even try for something real.

And a chance was all he needed.


	17. Chapter 17

“Marinetteeee.”

Alya sprawled out across the couch in the design room, bored out of her mind. 

“Marinetttteeeeee.”

She sighed as she paused her stitching to look at her friend.

“What can I do for you?”

“Let’s go out! You and I haven’t gone out since the day we arrived.”

“Why can’t you go out with Nino or Adrien?”

“Because,” the girl swung her legs over, pulling herself up into a sitting position. “Nino and Adrien aren’t you.”

Marinette pulled a pin from the finished stitching and placed it back in her box.

“It’s been three days and I’m only just now finishing Barbara’s ball gown. I still have to start on suits for Damian, Tim, Dick and a ball gown for myself.”

“So you know what that means?”

She raised an eyebrow at the girl, waiting for her answer.

“You won’t have time to make me a dress, so as my best friend, it is your duty to help me pick out one.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, as Alya leaned forward, her chin resting on her hand.

“C’mon girl! It’ll just be a couple hours! Besides, Adrien gave me this!”

With a dramatic wave of her hand, she lifted his credit card into view. The designer bit her lip as her eyes darted back and forth between her work and her friend.

“Fine,” Alya let out a cheer as she jumped up, darting out the door to get ready. “But only for a couple hours!”

She shouted it down the hall, but she knew her plea fell on deaf ears. Slumping her shoulders, she carefully secured the last stitch before placing the dress in it’s bag. At least she had one done, that deserved to be celebrated, right?  
… … … … … … … … …  
Within two hours, the girl’s had been to almost every shop the mall had to offer. Nothing was elegant enough for Marinette’s eye and Alya trusted that more than any retail worker.

“I might have enough time to alter an evening gown for myself and make you one?”

Alya shook her head, looping an arm through Marinette’s.

“Girl, you have a man to flirt with and nothing screams ‘look at me’ than a new ball gown.”

The two girls burst out into laughter as they stopped in front of the last boutique the mall had to offer. Wedding dresses were arranged in the window, beautiful gowns all pure white. Marinette raised an eyebrow at her friend. 

“What? This place still has bridesmaid dresses!”

Alya rolled her eyes as she dragged Marinette through the entrance. They were met by an overly cheerful attendant, waving her clipboard to welcome the girls.

“Hi ladies! Bride or bridesmaid?”

Before Marinette could answer, Alya leapt in front of her.

“Both actually! I’m the bridesmaid and my beautiful best friend here is the blushing bride.”

The designer tried to stutter out a denial but it was too late. The attendant scribbled down the information, ushering the two girls toward a private room. She assured them that a consultant would be with them soon as she pulled the curtain shut.

“I am not a bride.”

Marinette crossed her arms, glaring at her gleaming friend.

“But you will be soon! I mean you want to be eventually huh?”

She tried to shake her head, but something stopped her. It was almost like she could see it panning out. Three kids racing through the manor halls, Damian’s dog Titus chasing them. Jerry grooming his feathers on the kitchen counter as Marinette helped Alfred prepare an all vegetarian dinner. Alfred the cat nuzzling her ankles, begging her to drop a piece of cheese on the ground. Damian, returning from a long day of work to scoop her up in a fury of kisses. And she couldn’t forget about their pet hamster.

“Earth to Marinette. It was just a question girl, you don’t have to get so serious on me.”

Marinette blinked hard, dismissing the thought from her head. They still didn’t know enough about each other for her to be planning an entire life with the man. She was acting like a child again, caught up in a whirlwind fantasy that would never happen. Pulling out her phone, she clicked his icon. Hesitation coursed through her, as her thumbs hovered over the keyboard. Slowly she typed out the text. She placed her finger over the send button, not lifting it, just thinking.

“Hi ladies! Are we ready to find our dream dresses today?!”

Marinette flinched, her finger accidentally lifting as the sound of a message sending rang in her ears. Her face turned white as Alya and the consultant cheered.

“Now tell me all about your preferences.”

… … … … … … … … …  
Damian was waiting for the results when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He opened the notification to a pleasant surprise. Marinette’s picture flashed, indicating she had sent him a text, an odd occurrence as they had only talked via phone call. Nevertheless, he opened the message

“Let’s get coffee in the morning.”

He fiddled with his cell phone for a moment playing all the possible responses in his head. A second date. No harm in that right? But on the other hand, a public outing was dangerous. He wanted her out of the spotlight as much as possible.

“Is the manor okay? 8 a.m.?”

Within a minute, his phone buzzed again.

“It’s a date.. :)”

He tried to bite back the smile as he sat down his phone.

“Any luck baby bird?”

Dick propped himself against the computer, turning just enough to watch the monitor stuck in a loading screen. Damian sighed, shaking his head.

“It’s been over twelve hours. An average computer takes up to 7 days to analyze, this one can have it done in a day. Still 12 hours to go.”

“You know Damian, this won’t put your mind at ease. Why wouldn’t you talk to Selina?”

“You know why Grayson.”

Dick shook his head, crossing his arms.

“I know you want to think that she is the reason Bruce left, but-”

“She is Grayson. Why else would he go on such a reckless mission?”

“I don’t know. I can’t talk for him, but I can talk for Selina. She was tired Damian, tired of always coming second, tired of always being expected to wait for him, tired of never being considered enough.”

“The mission always comes first, she knew that when she met him.”

Dick scoffed as he stood up to leave the cave.

“All I’m saying Damian is to hear her out. That drive Bruce has, sacrificing it all for the sake of the mission, it’s hurt all of us in one way or another. It’s something Barbara and I promised, a promise to never let each other reach that point. We love each other too much to let that happen, and I love you baby bird; it’s why I’m telling you this now.”

He picked up Damian’s phone, ignoring the protests from the younger Wayne. Handing it back to him, he watched his face soften.

“Some things are more important than the mission.”

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Dick walked back toward the elevator. As he hit the button to return to the manor, he spared a look over his shoulder. Damian was staring hard at the photo of Marinette on his phone; Dick could see his wheels turning from where he stood.

Damian finally had a chance to be happy and Dick would be damned if he was gonna let the mission steal it from him.


	18. Chapter 18

Marinette woke up to the smell of something burning. Leaping out of bed, she ran down the hall to be met with the most horrifying sight. Nino in the kitchen.

Slowly, she approached the counter, catching sight of blackened pancakes stacked high. The boy was still cooking as he jammed out, his headphones blaring to the point Marinette could catch some of the music from where she was standing. With a sigh, she reached over and yanked his left side out. Nino let out a scream, hitting the pan, sending the poor pancake flying through the air.

“Nino, whatcha doing in here?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, giving his friend a sheepish smile.

“I was trying to surprise Alya with some breakfast in bed, but I can’t seem to get the pancake to heat ratio dude.

Marinette briefed a look at the digital clock. It was 7:15, she had about 15 minutes to spare before she needed to get ready. Opening the fridge, she pulled out a container of strawberries, holding them out for Nino to grab.

“Here, if you cut some of these, I’ll fix you two pancakes. Have you started her special blend?”

He bit his lip as he motioned toward the black sludge dripping from the machine. Marinette couldn’t help but laugh as she moved toward the machine to fix the terrifying mess.

“What are you gonna do when you guys move back and I’m not there to fix breakfast?”

He let out an awkward chuckle, both trying to ignore the cloud in the room. Because they both knew they couldn’t stay here forever, no matter how much she wanted them to. They worked in silence and in no time, they had a beautiful tray set up. Nino lifted the tray to head back to his room but stopped briefly, turning to face Marinette.

“You know we would come visit all the time right? We couldn’t leave you alone in this city dudette, soulmate or not. You’re way too important to us.”

He pressed a short peck on the girl’s cheek before leaving the kitchen to surprise his girlfriend with breakfast in bed.  
… … … … … … … … . .  
Barbara stood in the doorway, watching the youngest Wayne arrange and rearrange the breakfast table multiple times.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you’re nervous for this date.”

Damian scowled at the girl, adjusting the coffee mugs once more.

“I want this to be perfect, is that so wrong?

She shrugged her shoulders as she stepped forward, adjusting the flowers in the vase to better show the colors. Damian gave her a small nod of approval before waving a hand to send her off. The kitchen was now a no sibling zone.

“Thank you Alfred.”

Her voice rang through the entrance causing his heartbeat to race. She pushed open the door, a hesitant smile on her face.

“Miss Marinette.”

Her smile widened as he picked up her hand, placing a delicate kiss on her knuckles.

“Damian.”

Not letting go, he guided the girl to the table, pulling out her seat with his free hand.

“How is your commission going?”

He poured their coffee as Marinette spilled the details from Barbara’s gown, her face glowing with excitement. Taking a small sip from his mug, he watched her fumble with her phone, trying to find the best picture to show him.

“What do you think?”

She handed her phone over, biting her lip as she waited for his review. He swiped through a few angles admiring the hard work and the color scheme. He was about to return her phone when his finger slipped, revealing the final photo on her camera roll. His eyes widened as he sucked in a sharp breath.

“Oh no, you don’t like it!”

She began fumbling over her words, waving her hands wildly as she spiraled about her work. He switched off her phone before placing a light touch on the designer’s shoulder. Her eyes trailed to where his hand was resting, her spiral coming to a halt.

“It’s amazing work Marinette, Barbara will be quite pleased with the results.”

“Oh. I thought something was wrong.”

Her shoulders slumped in relief as he slowly turned her phone back on, the photo still taunting him on the screen. Marinette’s face whitened when she saw what earned his reaction. It was a photo her and Alya had taken yesterday in the boutique. Alya was posing dramatically in an emerald green dress while Marinette hung off of her arm in a pure white gown.

“It’s not what it looks like.”

She tried to stutter out a line of denials, but it just earned a laugh from the boy. Her face went from deadly white to red as a tomato.

“It looks like two friends having fun, I was just caught off guard from how beautiful you look in white.”

If it was possible, Marinette’s face burned brighter as she quickly snatched her phone off the table and slid it into her bag. Damian just sat back, a smirk widening on his face.

The two chatted idly for an hour, Marinette downing three coffees in the time.

“I’ve never met someone who could meet Drake in coffee consumption.”

She smiled sheepishly, setting down her mug, lightly pushing it away.

“I’m used to running on low hours of sleep, between school, commissions, patrol, coffee is a girl’s best friend.”

She felt a slight nudge on her leg and froze as she realized what she just said. If he heard her mistake, he didn’t acknowledge it, just continued sipping his coffee. She relaxed for a moment, trying to ignore the statement.

“Have you always been Lady Rogue or is this new?”

He asked the question so nonchalantly, it felt impossible to deny it. Courage poured through her as she sat up straighter, narrowing her eyes at the boy.

“Have you always been Batman or is this new?”

A smirk graced his face as he pushed his mug forward to meet hers.

“I asked first.”

She looked down to her purse to see Tikki peek their head out, giving her a nod of encouragement. With a sigh, she melted into her seat.

“It’s new honestly. I used to be Ladybug, but she was Paris’ hero, one they don’t need her anymore. Gotham was a new city, I didn’t even plan to use my miraculous here, but then my friend’s had to find themselves in a hostage situation on the first day we arrived. I had to think of something fast, so I willed my suit to change to avoid any connection with Paris.”

Damian nodded, taking in the information. The league had a folder on Paris via the JLE, but were told to stay away. The man was a dangerous terrorist who manipulated emotion to attempt to kill the heroes in order to steal their magic infused jewelry.

“Couldn’t your Miraculous grant a wish to cure death?”

“It could grant any wish, not just a death cure, but it’s complicated. There’s always a catch. If your wish disturbs the balance of the universe, any equally disturbing event would occur causing cataclysmic effects.”

“So to wish for the life of one could damn the life of another.”

Marinette nodded, her hand instinctively touching her earrings.

“But he’s gone now.”

“He’s the one that tried to kill you for your position as Master isn’t he? What are you the Master of that would be worth killing over?”

He had meant the question as a thought, but it was too late. She flinched back, pressing against her purse.

“I really do trust you Damian, but I can’t tell you everything right now. It’s not because of you, it’s because of me. This just ended three years ago, that may seem like a lot of time, but it feels like yesterday sometimes. It’s just too painful, I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, moving to gather her hand from her purse.

“I understand better than you know. My childhood-well it wasn’t ideal. It left me scarred for a very long time. Even now, I still have to fight to avoid reverting back to my childhood instincts. Some things are not about how much time passed, it’s simply about the damage it left on you.”

Her smile softened as their eyes met.

“Thank you, for understanding that is. I’d love to tell you it all, but it’ll have to be piece by piece.”

“Take as long as you need, beloved.”

They both dropped their hands as if they were on fire, their faces as red as could be. The kitchen door creaked open as Tim slugged in, his mug empty. His eyes narrowed in suspicion at the red faced couple before slipping past them to grab the coffee pot. He poured the remaining coffee into his mug and slugged out of the kitchen with as much energy as he had entered with. Marinette stood abruptly, knocking over her chair in the process.

“I should uh you know maybe get uh going?”

It came out as a question as she fumbled to stand her chair back up. Damian stood slowly, helping her steady her chair, the fingers brushing lightly.

“Of course, I’ll have Alfred drop you off. I’m sorry if I crossed a line.”

She shook her head, grabbing his arm.

“Not at all, you just caught me off guard.”

A light blush still danced across her cheeks and against his better judgement, he reached out to brush the stray hairs away from her face. His head began to dip toward her level, her eyes widening, but not pulling away. Cupping her cheek, he guided her face toward his lips, stopping when they were only a fraction away.

“Is this okay Miss Dupen-Chang?”

She gulped, nodding, unable to form any words.

Just as their lips were about to touch, the kitchen door burst open and a frantic Jason spilled through.

“Damian- woah!”

The couple pulled away quickly, their faces burning for what felt like the hundredth time this morning.

“What is it Todd?” his teeth were clenched as he glared at the older Wayne.

“Sorry to interrupt love birds, but I wanted to let you know that the results are in from that test you ran last night.”

“And?”

Todd nodded confirming his worst suspicion.

“It was a match. The DNA doesn’t lie demon spawn.”


	19. Chapter 19

Alfred dropped Marinette off soon after Jason’s outburst. Nobody would explain to her what they meant by the DNA, but it was obviously urgent as Damian called for Alfred immediately, pecking her cheek and ran down the manor halls.

She would’ve been more anxious to figure it out if her mind wasn’t elsewhere. Standing outside the apartment door, her fingers traced over her lips absentmindedly. The stubble on his chin tickled her nose when he bent down, his breath shallowing, causing her heart to skip a beat. Her lips were aching from how close the two were, wishing that she would have felt more than just the stubble on his face.

Her phone buzzed, distracting her from the memory.

“Lunch is in the fridge for when you get hungry, don’t forget to eat today! Won’t be back till late, gonna try to find her today.”

Marintte sighed as she pushed the door open. Between the two outings from yesterday and this morning, she was further behind than she wanted to be. Lunch would be the furthest thing on her mind today.

… … … … … … … … .

Adrien didn’t know where to start. Alya suggested the scene of the crime, but upon arrival, the whole hall was closed off, officers standing guard.

Nino told him to let Plagg survey the scene, but after fifteen minutes, the kwamii couldn’t come up with even a single fingerprint. It meant she was good, too good to be tracked. His heart felt heavy as he instinctively rubbed his soulmate phrase.

“Maybe we should take a break, grab some lunch and reassess the whole situation. I don’t care how good she is, everyone can be tracked one way or another.”

The blonde nodded, but he knew that Alya was wrong. People who didn’t want to be found, wouldn’t be.

The three friends sat on a patio near the entrance, Nino and Alya sharing looks at the boy poking at his salad. When the waitress sat down the tab, Adrien didn’t even blink as he tossed his card on the receipt. Alya leaned over, placing her hand on top of the model’s.

“We’ll find her Adrien.”

The boy shook his head, pulling his hand away. Pushing his chair out, he threw down a couple dollars as a tip, shoving his hands deep in his pocket. Ignoring his friend’s protests, he walked out the restaurant.

“Sign for my card, will you Nino?”

He didn’t even wait for his response as he continued walking, refusing to look back. His phone rang from his back pocket and he let it. It silenced only for a moment before it began again. Ignoring it again, he kept wandering down the winding streets. On the third ring, he snapped, slamming his thumb on the accept button.

“Nino, I’ll come back when I’ve cooled off. Leave. Me. Alone.”

The line went silent for a moment before a laugh rang from the other side. His heart stopped as his whole body froze up.

“Angry blondie? Tell me all about it babe.”

Adrien whipped around, trying to catch sight of anyone watching him, anyone even looking in his direction.

“Where are you?”

“Slow down hot stuff, you know that t-shirt hugs your muscles perfectly, but I know you could do better.”

He let out a dry laugh.

“So you can see me?”

“I could do so much more, but not here and not now handsome.”

Adrien slowed down, his eyes scanning entryways and allys. His eyes locked on a small figure hunched in the corner, sunglasses covering half her face, but it didn’t matter. The long black braid cascaded over her petite shoulder.

“What if we meet up? I can take you out, a real date.”

He took a few steps in her direction, careful not to tip off his voice.

“Oh man, you’re a stick aren’t you? You really think you can woo me over hot stuff?”

“I could do so much more.”

He watched her face contort into a smirk. A few more steps and he would be right in front of her. His heart felt like it was about to explode, and his face wasn’t doing much better.

“Ah, so you do have a sense of humor. But there’s one thing you’re forgetting.”

“What’s that?”

Something sharp pricked his neck, sending a sense of peace over his body. His movement became sluggish, as he took the last few steps, collapsing into the small girl’s arms. His eyes began to go fuzzy, as her hair tickled what little feeling he had left in his nose. She leaned forward, a warm smell of vanilla overwhelming his senses. Her lips pressed against his right ear.

“I’m the one in charge here.”

And with that, everything went black.  
… … … … … … … … … … .

Adrien woke slowly, rolling his neck, his hand rubbing the sore spot. He blinked hard, trying to get a fix on his location. It was a studio, very little furniture besides the mattress he was laying on. He tried to stand up, but his legs couldn’t quite hold his weight.

“Sorry babe, couldn’t let you see my home, not yet at least.”

He turned his head to see the girl toweling her hair dry, a smirk still painted on her face.

“Did you have to knock me out?”

She shrugged, moving to squat beside him.

“You wanted to find me, no? I wanted to find you too, but the problem is I can’t be trusting you with my whole life huh?”  
She helped him sit up, propping a pillow between his head and the wall. He took in more of the studio. It was neat, everything had a place from the cup on the counter, to the bow propped in the corner. It was too neat.

“This isn’t your home,” he observed. “It’s a crash pad.”

“You’re pretty good blondie. You got some experience of being on the run?”

“Something like that.”

She moved from her squatting position to join him on the mattress.

“What’s your name blondie?”

“Adrien, Adrien Agreste. And you princess?”

She snorted at the nickname, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Helena Kyle.”

They sat in silence for a moment, both relishing in the feeling of finally knowing each other’s name.

“You know I can take you on a real date right? One where you don’t have to lure me to an ally and kidnap me?”

She turned her head, her eyes searching his for any form of a trick or lie.

“How do I know you wouldn’t turn me in? After all, you did witness me commit a crime.”

She poked his side, earning a chuckle from the boy.

“What crime? I can’t remember much from that night besides your beautiful eyes.”

She pushed herself up, moving to straddle the boy. Pushing a few strands out of his eyes, she leaned closer, pressing a light kiss to his lips. Adrien gently cupped her face, pulling her in for a longer kiss, relishing in the softness of her lips and the intoxicating smell filling his nose again. As he slowly pulled back, he felt the same sharp prick in his neck from earlier.

“Not again.”

His head felt heavy again, as he leaned forward into Helena’s shoulder.

“I’ll call you about the date, okay blondie?”

… … … … … … … …

When Adrien woke, he was in his bed, tucked in tight, his shirt and pants laid on the ground beside him. His mind was swimming as he darted up, gathering his surroundings. His window was open, a light breeze filling his room.

She knew where he lived. He tried to avoid freaking out that the small girl somehow dragged his body from her pad to his apartment, through the window and into his bed. He was about to sit back down when he noticed the lingering smell of vanilla.

Turning his head toward the smell, he noticed a small note placed on his window sill. He lifted the piece of paper, the smell hitting him strongly the closer he brought it to his face.

In perfect cursive, it read:

‘I’ll be seeing you soon blondie.’

He looked out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of her anywhere, but found nothing. He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, shaking his head. Looking out one more time, he hoped she was out there listening.

“I can’t wait princess.”


	20. Chapter 20

It had been two days since the test confirmed Helena as a Wayne. Damian tried every excuse in the book, including genetically engineered DNA, but the more desperate he became trying to prove the blood to be fake, the more he realized that he had been blind this whole time. 

Selena never stayed the night, or if she did, she was never here when they woke. She would go missing for weeks at a time, only to show up as if nothing happened, dancing around Bruce’s questions, teasing him about being possessive. Food would go missing from the kitchen and everyone would turn their heads, pretending her purse wasn’t a little more full than when she arrived.

At this point, he was left with questions; questions only Selena could answer. But as he sat staring at her contact, he couldn’t bring himself to call the woman, scared of the information he might discover. He heard the ding from the elevator and turned with a sigh. More than likely, Grayson was going to give him another speech about embracing his family and to ‘get over his ego and call’.

Standing up, he moved toward the doors, arms crossed as he waited. As the doors opened, a figure tumbled forward, falling on the ground. Instinctively, Damian jumped backwards, his hand pulling out a batarang, aiming at the elevator.

“What do you think you’re going to do with that thing?”

Helena stepped out, a smirk on her face, leaning her crossbow against her shoulder, giving Damian a look over. She stepped over the limp figure, walking towards the bat computer. He stepped in front of her, looking down on the girl.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m here to see my big brother.”

She flashed him an overly cheery smile as she pushed him out the way, continuing toward the computer. He reached out, intent on stopping her again, when he heard a familiar groan. Whipping his head to the figure, he noticed the red hair peeking out from the hood. His blood felt like it was boiling as he scooped Barbara up, bringing her over to the med table.

“What. Did. You. Do. To. Her?” He was seething, his voice cracking from anger.

Helena sat in the chair, his chair, waving a dismissive hand in his direction.

“It’s just a mild sedative. I was making my way to the elevator when she just happened to come around the corner. It was self defense really, she rushed me.”

She shrugged as if breaking into his manor wasn’t a big deal. Damian took one last look at the redhead, placing two fingers against her neck. He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt her heartbeat, slower than usual, but still strong. He made his way over to the computer stopping behind the girl.

“Tell me brother, Father is the world’s greatest detective, the only exception being that Drake guy.”

“What’s your question?”

She turned from the monitors, arms crossed, her eyes narrowing at the other Wayne.

“Do you truly believe that he had no idea I existed?”

He stared at her for a few minutes, thinking of the right way to approach the question.

“Honestly? He didn’t know I existed for ten years, but when he found out, he didn’t stop trying to help me, even after I died.”

She raised her eyebrow at him, but didn’t question him further, just nodded.

“I believe you.”

She turned back to the computer, staring hard at the file he marked Paris. Before he could move to stop her, she already had it opened, the pictures spilling across the screen. Her jaw dropped, eyes zeroing in on the blonde boy.

“Why is Adrien Agreste in a leather catsuit?”

Damian sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“How do you know Adrien Agreste?”

She tried to shrug off the question, but Damian noticed her stiff posture, her eyes that kept wandering back to the photo on the screen.

“Who are the others?”

Seven heroes were spread across the screen. Damian had run a facial recognition scan of the others through the JLE database, but came up with no names. It made no sense to him seeing as he could obviously see that Ladybug was Marinette.

“From the best I can tell, these four are Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir, Alya Césaire as Rena Rouge, and Nino Lahiffe as Carapace and my soulmate is Ladybug. The other three are a mystery to me, even facial recognition can’t pick them up, but it has to be some sort of magic helping them out.”

“I mean obviously, who couldn’t tell that was Adrien Agreste?”

He stared at his sister for a moment, deep in thought. She met his eyes and frowned.

“What?”

“I couldn’t tell it was Adrien. My guesses came from the company my soulmate keeps, she’s the only one I can see obviously through the mask. Which means you’re leaving out information about Adrien.”

She sighed, leaning forward as she pulled out a flashdrive. The hair shifted from her neck, cursive letters peeking out from her collar. Plugging it into his computer, Damian felt his muscles stiffen. She could be uploading a tracer or a virus to steal his software or-

“Stop your spiraling, we both know you’re gonna run a cleanser on your computer the moment I leave. This is just the information I’ve gathered so far on him.”

He scowled at the girl, bending down to take a closer look at the file. Inside were dozens of pictures of him in Gotham city, the address to the apartment Damian was renting the Parisians, his phone number and a mini collection of notes and observations she had made. One in particular stuck out to him. He pointed to the bullet point, catching the smaller girl’s attention.

“What makes you think he’s an orphan? He came from a rich family, those tend to have at least one parent present.”

She shook her head, clicking on a link beside the note. An article pulled up from a Ladybug fan blog. The headline read in big letters: ‘GABRIEL AGRESTE ARRESTED AS HE ADMITS TO TERRORIZING PARIS AS HAWKMOTH’.

“Where did you find the article? I thought the mayor of Paris ordered all news outlets to be silenced for this story, only the JLE was made aware that Hawkmoth was caught, and even they weren’t told who the terrorist was.”

“This wasn’t a Paris story. Some Italian girl submitted the story to the Ladyblog, and the owner of the blog helped cover the details she left out. Since it was technically submitted from Italy, the mayor had no power over it. The only thing he could do was bury it, making it nearly impossible to find.”

“But where is the boy’s mother? Orphan implies both parents out the picture.”

She shrugged as if that was the answer to his question, not offering him anything else.

“Anyone who can spot a crash pad has had a lot of experience on the run. My guess is that he ran away a lot, especially during his late teens, right before this all went down. But I didn’t know he was a superhero, that could change my entire theory.”

Damian crossed his arms as she closed out the file, removing her flash drive.

“You still haven’t explained your connection to him.”

“I believe you already know my connection.”

She examined her nails as if she was bored of the conversation. After a few moments of silence, she feigned a yawn, exaggeratedly stretching her arms out.

“Why don’t you ask me the questions you really want to ask Dames?”

He scowled at the girl as she went back to picking at her fingernails, disinterest rolling off her in waves.

“Fine. How long have you known who your father is? Why have you never approached us before? Where has she kept you all these years?”

“One at a time please. I’m not meant for interrogations, don’t you see this beautiful face? Can’t have it wrinkling prematurely.”

He rolled his eyes at the girl.

“Fine fine,” she put her hands up in mock surrender. “I’ve known since I was nine. Mom and I had been doing fine, staying with Aunt Ivy and Aunt Harley at times, bouncing between luxury apartments and small studios. I was staying with Aunt Ivy when the Joker attacked my mom, after that we went into hiding in one of Ivy’s abandoned hideouts. I’ve been there until my 18th birthday, practicing with my crossbow and my aunts. Mom didn’t want me to join the family business, but hey, a girl has to make a living.”

“Those murders from last year, several men all found dead, an arrow sticking out from their neck. Father could never figure it out and any time he got close, Hood erased his data.Was that you?”

“It was a ring of child molesters and sex traffickers, nobody was gonna miss them. Hood caught me once fleeing the scene, but once he figured out who they were, he wasn’t one to stand in my way.”

Damian narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t disagree with the girl, the men were horrible, but it was not how his father taught him, not a method Selena would have taught either. Beating them within an inch of their life, sure, but never killing.

“What are you? A thief? Some sort of antihero?”

“Why not both? Save the day, get the man and have enough time to spare to pick up a little treat for myself at the end of the day.”

“Why did you and Selena approach me the other day?”

She rolled her eyes, standing up from the chair.

“Mom thought me meeting my soulmate would make me want to ‘change my ways’ but Ivy’s hideout or not, I can only do so much with the technology there. You have the best computer known to man. Besides, if I outed myself to you, you would be more focused on trying to disprove the claim of our relationship to notice me bypassing your security. One way or another, invited or not, I was getting to this computer.”

Barbara began to stir on the table, causing Damian to lose focus on the girl in front of him. He heard the light whistle of air and his hand moved to catch a small dart, a centimeter away from piercing his neck. Looking around, his eyes met hers as the elevator doors began to close.

“Nice catch up bro, we should totally hang again some time!”

He threw his batarang, but it harmlessly tinked off the elevator doors. She was gone.

“Baby bird?”

Barbara groggily sat up, trying to slide off the med table. Damian took a step forward, catching the girl as she fell, her legs failing her. He saw the panic in her eyes as she began to hyperventilate.

“My legs, God, my legs. I can’t feel them Damian. Damian I can’t feel them!”

He stroked her hair calmly as the girl grasped at his chest plate, struggling to breath, tears streaming down her face.

“Barbara, take some deep breaths. Everything is fine. Your legs are fine. You were tranqed, it just hasn’t worn off yet. Deep breaths”

She slowly began to calm down, allowing the boy to put her back on the med table. Her breathing was still shaky as she allowed him to check her heart rate and oxygen levels.

“I’m sorry. I know I’ve been able to walk again for ten years now, but that panicked feeling that it might just disappear again, I can’t shake it.”

Damian shook his head as he picked up a flashlight, scanning her eyes for responsiveness.

“You don’t have to explain anything Barbara, we all have scars and we can’t help how they affect us.”

She nodded, her hand reaching out to squeeze his. He slipped his phone out his pocket, shooting a text to Dick. He nodded to Barbara, squeezing her hand in return.

“Dick will be here soon.”

He let go, walking away, pulling up his contact list. Hitting Marinette’s name, he waited for her to pick up.

“Damain? Is everything okay? It’s 10?”

“Did you eat something today?”

He heard her pause over the phone, the sound of a sewing machine slowing to a stop.

“No, I don’t believe so.” Her voice was sheepish as if this was her first time thinking about food.

“Do you mind if I come by? I can bring some take out from this Chinese place near your apartment. I know it’s nothing like the real thing, but the food is quite adequate.”

She giggled, a sweet sound that warmed both his heart and his cheeks.

“That sounds great, just text me when you get here. Everyone else is asleep already, but I’ll be up for quite a few more hours.”

“Well then, I look forward to seeing you Marinette.”

“See you soon Damian.”

He hung up the phone just as the sound of Grayson’s bike filled the cave.

“What happened here?”

He barely parked his bike before rushing to Barbara’s side.

“My sister.”

Damian slipped out of his father’s suit, picking up his jacket from the chair. He grabbed the keys from Grayson’s hand without a protest from the boy.

“Where are you going?”

“Todd and Drake have patrol tonight, you are here to watch Barbara, I am going out.”

And without acknowledging Dick’s teasing, he picked up the helmet from the seat of the bike, slipping it on his head.

Within the next twenty minutes, he could finally be free for a couple hours from this whole mess.

In the next twenty minutes, he would be with Marinette and the idea couldn’t make him happier.


	21. Chapter 21

Damian woke at 5:30 sharp, shifting, trying to relieve the tension in his muscles. He moved to sit up, only to be stopped by the weight on his shoulder. Turning his head to get a better angle, black hair blocked his vision. He tentatively lifted his arm, allowing the girl to curl into his side, giving him a better look at her.

Last night, they enjoyed dinner, Marinette scarfing down the food quickly as if she hadn’t eaten in days, something he feared was true. She quickly picked back up on her project, hemming what looked like a pair of slacks, asking him questions throughout.

He mostly just watched her work, amazed at how skillfully her hands moved. Her tongue stuck out just the slightest as she concentrated on a particularly tough spot making his heart race at the sight of it. He had never felt like this before. Sure he had dated people before. There was Raven for a brief period of time and the ever awkward crush on Tim’s soulmate Stefanie, but nobody ever made his heart skip like Marinette.

Stroking her hair lightly, he vaguely recalled her moving from the sewing machine to the couch beside him last night. Looking down, a jacket arm was sprawled across her lap, the needle halfway pushed through the stitch she had been working on. Using his free arm, he moved the fabric to the floor, avoiding scratching her with any pins.

“You’re getting better Damian.”

His eyes narrowed, trying to find the source of the voice. The room was clear, but he knew what he heard.

“What do you mean?”

He slowed down his breathing, willing his beating heart to slow as well. His trained ears were straining in the silence, waiting for the person to speak again. A slight movement from Marinette’s hair caught his attention. Squinting hard, he saw a red streak peeking out at him from behind her ear.

“What are you?”

His finger nudged the spot where he spotted the red streak, causing it to fly into the open, facing him.

“I’m a kwamii, an eternal being with the power of creation. My miraculous is the earrings of Ladybug, donned by Marinette.”

Damian nodded, offering his palm for the kwamii to rest.

“You’re taking this very well, much better than most.”

“Diana has told us much about these magic jewels, your previous owner was her mother right?”

The kwamii nodded enthusiastically, propping against Damian’s thumb.

“Queen Hippolyta was a formidable holder, it was a shame when I had to leave her.”

“What do you mean by I’m getting better?”

The kwamii rolled their eyes.

“I’m older than the Earth itself, you think I didn’t notice you that night when I was comforting Marinette?”

The boy gaped, trying to come up with a denial, but quickly settled on pressing his lips tightly together, causing the kwamii to giggle.

“I meant what I said that night Damian. You two both have many walls to break down, but you’re still withdrawing from her.”

He tried to shake his head, deny the claim, but after a stern look from Tikki, he decided his best course of action would be to just listen.

“You won’t talk about your past, opting only to hear about hers. You won’t even give her much personal information, just the stuff she couldn’t do much with if she were to leave you. You won’t even risk her being seen with you by the paparazzi.”

“It’s for her safety,” but even as he said it out loud, he knew it was a lie.

“It’s for yours. You know that once they get wind of her being your soulmate, you won’t be able to step away if things get out of hand. It’s one thing for family and friends to know, it’s hard enough when they know, but it’s nearly impossible when the whole world knows.”

He sighed, looking down at the girl still sound asleep. He stroked her hair, a lopsided smile framing his face.

“It’s for both Tikki. I want to be sure that this is what she wants, because public pressure is damning and something she doesn’t need. Plus, I have some very dangerous enemies, they would love to get their hands on her.”

“She’s a superhero Damian, she can handle your enemies. Can I give you a piece of advice?”

The boy sighed, turning his attention back to the kwamii, nodding.

“She’s had one too many secrets to keep in her life. Her actions as Ladybug, her threats from a terrible Italian girl, her feelings for fear of being akumatized. Don’t make her into another secret. You love her don’t you?”

He swallowed hard, his eyes darting back and forth between the girl and her kwamii. Surely the thought had crossed his mind, but he decided it was ridiculous. Nobody could be in love after only three weeks, right?

The kwamii nuzzled his thumb in an attempt to comfort the man.

“You don’t have to answer Damian. I know you’ve been through some heavy stuff in your life, you might not even be sure if you understand what you’re feeling right now. All I’m saying is that she’s almost broken down all her walls for you, you should try to start doing the same for her. Don’t make her into another secret.”

With that, the kwamii nuzzled back into Marinette’s neck, closing its eyes as it’s breathing evened out, indicating they fell back asleep.

Damian attempted to shift to a more comfortable position, but with Tikki’s words still ringing in his head, how could he fall back asleep?  
… … … … … … … … … … … …

Two hours later, Damian was still staring at the wall, pondering what the kwamii had told him. A light pressure shifted from his side and he peeked down to see the young designer slowly stirring into consciousness.

“Good Morning, Beautiful.”

She mumbled something that sounded like a good morning, before sitting all the way up, rubbing her eyes fiercely. Suddenly, her eyes popped open frantically, as she patted her lap, searching the couch for the fabric she was working on last night.

“It’s over here.”

He gently picked up the sleeve, handing it to the girl who breathed a sigh of relief.

“I didn’t want you to stab yourself in your sleep.”

She flashed him a gracious smile, moving straight to work. He frowned as he watched her dive right back in. While he admired her dedication, she wasn’t a machine and he had just watched her work until 2:30 last night.

“Marinette, how long do you usually work per day?”

She paused her stitching for a moment, eyebrows scrunched up as she tried to calculate the number of hours.

“On a large order such as this, I pretty much work 18-20 hours a day, only stopping briefly for bathroom breaks, or to stretch my legs, or to remeasure.”

She answered so nonchalantly, continuing on with her work. Damian was appalled. Even when he went to school, interned at his father’s company and patrolled during the nights, he was still getting 7-9 hours of sleep a day.

“Don’t you think that’s a lot?”

Marinette simply shrugged her shoulders. 

“I work according to my orders. Suit pants take approximately 5-7 hours, jackets take 7 hours, and vests take 5. But that’s just the sewing. It’s not counting the steaming of the fabric, hemming the design, trial runs and resizing. In order to ensure I have everything done by Monday so that I have five days to resize or hem anything, it leads to long work days.”

Damian shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“How far in are you?”

“Once I finish this jacket, I will have all of your outfits done, leaving me a little under two days to start mine. I’m counting on you guys not to need too much hemming considering how well your trial outfits went, so it should give me enough time to finish my gown.”

“And the masks?”

She nodded, a small smile donning her face.

“They’re packed with the rest of the outfits.”

“Then why don’t we cook some breakfast. It would make me feel better knowing you’ve had at least one meal today.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but she closed it just as quickly, a frown settling over her face.

“A quick breakfast okay?”

He nodded, taking her hand and leading her to the kitchen. Rummaging through the cabinets, he brought down flour, sugar and several other baking materials. Marinette attempted to look over his shoulder, standing on the tips of her toes trying to figure out what the man was making, but she couldn’t catch a glance as he placed a tray in the oven, and the dishes in the dishwasher.

Leaning against the counter, he turned his gaze to the girl trying to peer into the oven. A small smile found his way across his face, but it was quickly dismissed as his mind wandered back to Tikki’s words.

“Marinette?”

She turned slowly to meet his eyes.

“What’s up?”

He hesitated for a moment. Something about the intensity of her eyes and the emotion he could see running through them, all of it directed at him. Telling her could ruin everything, but what choice did he have?

“I haven’t been as open with my past as you have been and I don’t want that particular wall to still be standing between us, risking anything.”

Her face softened as she stepped forward, grabbing his hand, offering him a sympathetic smile.

“You know you can tell me anything Damian. You are a product of your past, but you’re not your past. It’s a distinct difference. I’ve already decided the kind of person you are now, so to me, your past is just that; the past.”

He took a deep breath, leading her to sit down at the table. Her eager eyes bore into his, but he couldn’t face them. He didn’t want to see how she would react when she decided that she wanted nothing to do with him.

He began with his birth and how he was grown in a lab, a perfect specimen from Bruce Wayne’s sperm and an egg from his mother’s uterus. He told her how he was trained to take over his grandfather’s mantle, learning to kill or be killed from a very young age. At the age of ten, he was sent to his father’s as a ploy in his mother’s plot to lead him to his demise. He recalled what a brat he was and how he attempted to kill not only Drake several times, but Todd as well.

He choked up when he reached his death, but she began to rub her thumb across the back of his knuckles and he instantly relaxed. He recalled his resurrection and how his father became extra protective of him, even leaving for a brief period of time, leaving him under the care of Grayson, whom he grew to favor of all his brothers. He told her how the Joker kidnapped his whole family, attempting to kill them all to ‘free’ Bruce.

He told her how he had to learn how to read social cues and that it was okay to feel emotion at times. How hard it was to make friends when the only thing he knew how to do was observe, analyze and deem people as threats or not. He told her about his best friend Jon and how he would never tell him, but that he owed a lot of his social skills to him.

“-and finally, my twenty-first birthday.”

His eyes dipped down to her hand still holding his.

“I didn’t think the world would reward me with a soulmate, so you could imagine my shock when I woke to the phrase printed on my wrist. I understand if you want to walk away from this. Nobody asked you if you wanted me, you just got the short end of the stick.”

A moment of silence passed before he felt a delicate hand tilt his chin upward. His eyes met hers, but instead of disgust, they were filled with sympathy and admiration? No, that couldn’t be right, she should be recoiling in fear, calling him a monster, not offering him a chance.

He tried to shake his head, but she only gripped his chin tighter.

“I’m not going anywhere Damian Wayne. You could’ve chosen the path your grandfather set up for you, but you didn’t. You fought it, you made your own path and to me, it’s the bravest thing you could ever do.”

She moved closer, leaning in, guiding his chin down to her level. Her forehead rested against his as her eyes looked up at him from under her eyelashes.

“Would it be too soon if I told you I loved you?”

It came out a whisper, but to him, it was loud and clear.

“Not at all.”

He moved in to close the distance, his lips barely brushing hers when the smoke alarm went off.

They both jumped up, racing to the kitchen where smoke was pouring from the oven. Marinette grabbed the fire extinguisher, spraying the tray down. Once she was sure any chance of a fire was extinguished, she set down the bottle on the counter.

Alya and Nino raced down the hall, skidding to a stop in the kitchen. Damian and Marinette shared a look, both turning red.

Alya shook her head moving to turn off the oven.

“You two lovebirds trying to burn the place down?”

They both shook their heads quickly, not meeting the girl’s eyes. Alya let out a small laugh.

“Don’t worry, Nino and I will go grab some breakfast. But you two better have this kitchen cleaned by the time we get back.”

They both mock-saluted the girl, before turning to work on the damage. Neither brought up the almost kiss, both blushing red at the thought of it.

Damian turned to face the girl, his mouth opening to speak when his phone buzzed twice from his pocket. Slipping it out his pocket, an unknown number flashed across his screen. No name, just a message.

‘Heads up, Ivy said Dad is on his way back’

His blood turned icy, as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“Everything okay?”

Marinette flashed him a warm smile, suds form the sink stuck on her nose. Stepping forward, he reached up to brush them off, offering her a smile in return.

“Just perfect.”


	22. Chapter 22

Helena slipped her phone into her back pocket, straining her ears to pick up the hushed conversation between her mother and Ivy. 

“Ivy, you can’t-”

Her mother’s voice dropped to a deadly tone, something just out of range for the girl to hear. The figures approached the door causing Helena to jump back, feigning boredom to avoid the lecture of spying, again. 

“Ivy, you don’t understand what you’re asking him to do.”

Her aunt’s face was cold, not giving her mother a second thought. 

“Leave Selena, you and Helena both.”

The girl opened her mouth to protest, but one look from Ivy and she shut it tight. Her mother grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to turn. Helena looked over her shoulder, meeting Ivy’s eyes as they neared the exit. They softened for a moment as she stared back at the girl, but just as fast they hardened. 

“Where do we go from here?”

Her mother shut the door to their old home, a tired expression taking over her face.

“We go meet your father.”

… … … … … … … … … . 

Damian left Marinette to her work, making her promise to take a break to eat, texting him when she did. As he made his way up the manor steps, his mind was elsewhere. How did Helena know he was coming back? Why now? 

He reached to open the door, but paused as he picked up an unusual sound coming from inside. Laughter. 

Cautiously, he opened the door, his eyes surveying the halls for any signs of a break in. The sound of laughter echoed down the hall from the dining room. Moving toward the door, his hand instinctively went to his jean pocket, affirming that the small dagger was still in place if needed.

Pushing open the propped door harshly, the laughter suddenly cut off. Three sets of eyes turned to face him, all silently staring. 

“Excuse my brother gentlemen, he’s not used to me using the house to entertain our guests.”

The two men nodded at Drake, continuing on with their conversations. Tim excused himself, making his way over to wear Damian stood, still stiff. Tim’s smile said friendly, but his eyes read murder, a look Damian was used to getting. 

“Drake, why do you have two of Wayne Enterprises’ biggest investors in our dining room.”

Tim shook his head as if Damian was a dumb child, a jester that he knew pushed the youngest Wayne’s buttons. 

“The Gala is less than a week away, I had to ensure that our favorite beneficiaries would be attending this year. After all, the charity Bruce sponsors is a wonderful cause.”

The men tipped their champagne classes to the two boys, smiles wide on both of their faces. 

“As co-CEO of this business, would you like to be introduced?”

Damian decided he could take Tim in a fight right now if it meant he could get out of this, but then he saw something that caught his interest. The champagne bottle that sat in the ice bucket was not the average one they offered guests. This one was a special concoction of alcohol and Luthor’s truth serum that Kent had lifted a few years ago. 

The boy raised his eyebrows at his adopted brother, earning a wink in return. With much effort, he mustered his best business smile, taking a step toward the men. 

“I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my morning.”

… … … … … … … … … .

“What was that Drake?”

Damian slammed the front door as the drunken men stumbled down the front stairs. Tim shrugged his shoulders, turning toward the library. 

“There were some whispers around the company that the beneficiaries of the company were planning a court case to cash in on their shares. I needed names so that I could shut it down before it became anything serious.”

“But the truth serum Drake? There were easier ways to obtain that kind of information.”

Tim stared at Damian’s expression, trying to analyze the anger radiating from the young man. With a sigh, he sat down in the nearest chair, waving to the other for Damian to sit. 

“I know you usually talk to Dick when you’re this bothered, but what has your panties in such a twist demon spawn?”

Damian scowled at the boy, but sat regardless.

“I got a possible informant saying my father is returning soon. Very soon.”

Tim leaned forward, his face showing that the younger boy had peaked his interest. 

“Do you trust this informant’s information?”

“I don’t know Drake. She is the one claiming to be my sibling, but even if she is, it does not explain how she would know before me,” he paused, his eyes meeting Tim’s. “-before us.”

“Do you know what this means Damian?”

Tim was spiraling into his thoughts, answering himself before Damian could even open his mouth.

“It means that Bruce really did it. He destroyed every last Lazarus Pit. But if they’re truly all gone, what does that mean? They’re terrible, but they’ve always been a safety net for us. I mean you, Cass, Kate, Jason, and that’s just a few off the top of my head. What happens now?”

Damian had similar worries. While the pit had been used by many evils, there was still the few good that were resurrected by it as well.

“I trust father has a plan, he always does.”

He rose quickly, ignoring Tim’s protests, exiting the kitchen quickly. Even as he replayed the words in his head, doubt quickly crept in. He knew his father had a plan, but the fact that Ivy could be included in it disturbed him.

For the first time in months, he opened the last message his father had sent him. He scrolled past the dozens of messages he had sent his father over the past year. Finally, he landed on the message, reading it over and over again, trying to catch any clue he could’ve possibly missed.

‘I made a deal that’ll help me complete my mission. Hopefully, this speeds up the process, but no promises. I trust you are handling the mantle well, I’ve been keeping up with the news in Gotham and it all praises your version of Batman more than it ever did mine. When we get back, maybe we’ll talk about you taking a more permanent position.’

He knew his father had to be sending him a cry for help, but he refused to answer him on what exactly that cry was for. Shaking his head, he made his way to the elevator, determined to get some answers. Whether it be from Selena or Helena, hell he’d even go after Ivy at this point. He was tired of waiting. He needed answers, now.

‘Wayne Enterprises. Tonight. Bring answers.’

He waited for a moment, unsure if this was indeed his sister’s number. Not a second later, his phone buzzed.

‘Ditto. We got lots to talk about.’

Damian scowled at her message, as he shut off his phone, sliding it in his back pocket. This was going to be a long night.


	23. Chapter 23

Damian paced the roof of his father’s building, an uneasiness settling over him.

“Yo, you’re gonna burn a hole through the roof if you don’t chill demon.”

He scowled as Todd’s words echoed through his comm, earning a laugh from the others.

“Hood, I placed you all in defensive positions for safety measures. If you want to commentate, go patrol the city. You can commentate from there.”

He heard a sarcastic ‘aye-aye’ from his comm causing him to roll his eyes.

“Heads up, three figures moving your way. Definitely Selina and Helena, can’t make out the third.”

“Be ready to attack.”

Damian tried to relax. He didn’t want the women to know that he had eyes tipping him off. The first thud was soft, the second and third barely louder, all coming from the only dark corner on the roof.

“I see you brought guests Helena.”

His sister stepped out first, a small smirk gracing her face. She pushed up her goggles, doing a small turn to show off her suit.

“You like the improvements? It’s a little more danger proof now.”

“Still bright purple,” his voice didn’t hide his disdain as she stuck her tongue out at the boy.

“Who did you bring?”

She motioned to the shadows, not bothering to look as they stepped into the light. As Todd guessed, Selena stepped out, her head hung low as the other figure draped an arm around her shoulder in a comforting manner. He sucked in a deep breath as bleach blonde hair reflected the light, and a scantily clad Dr. Quinn looked him up and down.

“Batsy, you look shorter. Finally take those lifts out your combat boots?”

She cackled, earning an elbow in the side.

“Oh c’mon Selena. I’m just picking on the kid! I know that’s Robin under there.”

Selena’s eyes met his, quickly shaking her head answering his question before he could ask. He finally released the breath he was holding.

“How do you know that Bruce Wayne is returning?”

The three women all shared a look, their eyes sharing an unspoken conversation, only causing his frustration to grow. Finally, Harley stepped forward, her arm dropping from Selena’s shoulders.

“You see Batsy, Ivy’s been acting real strange-like. She always gets like this when she’s keeping a secret, she can’t keep one to save her life ya know?”

“The point clown?”

She heaved a breath, blowing a stray piece of hair from her face.

“So impatient. Mistah J always said you Bats rushed past the punchline, never left time for the joke.” She rolled her eyes, earning a small giggle from Helena.

“Anyways, I tried to soften her up, help her relax yeah? But she pushed me away, said she had no time for me, only time to prep her precious plants for their rebirth, whatever that meant.”

Selena stepped forward gripping Harley’s shoulder, pulling her back slightly.

“Ivy wants to infuse her plants with water from the Lazarus Pits. She believes that she can create truly infinite life, take the poison of the pit out through her plants, only leaving behind the healing and rebirth. She’d be able to raise an army of undead, with the plants holding them together, giving them enough miserable life to obey her.”

“That’s impossible.”

His voice came out a whisper, but the grim look on all three women’s faces told him that it was very much possible.

“So in exchange for her protection, Bruce is going to give her a sample of the pit? Does he not realize how reckless that is?”

His voice rose despite his best efforts to keep it level. His father was a lot of things, but he wasn’t stupid. He must know something that he hadn’t shared with Ivy; he wouldn’t risk giving her world domination just to spite his mother and grandfather, he wouldn’t.

“Batman, we know how it sounds, but that’s everything we know. I would’ve come clean sooner, but I didn’t realize how serious she was about this. It’s almost as if she’s become possessed with this idea, it’s consuming her. She kicked us all out, we have nowhere to go.”

“So you want me to let three known criminals into my house? It’s not going to happen Selena.”

A slight protest came from Dick over the comm, but Damian tuned him out. Bruce had let too many strays into his home and it backfired, several times. There was no way Damian was doing the same.

Helena stepped forward, looking ready to chew him out, but Selena placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head.

“I’m just asking for a crash pad, a secure one if you can. Just until it all boils over. Without Bruce or Ivy, none of us have a home. Please, I know you have something you can spare.”

Tim offered the old bat cave over the comm, the others all agreeing, claiming it to be the safest spot for the three.

“Let’s go. It’s a one time offer and I’m not holding your hand through it. You get left behind, you miss out on it. Understood?”

The three women nodded as Damian turned, taking off across the roof. Jumping into the air, he unhooked his grapple, throwing it at the closest tower. There were still so many unanswered questions, but the women made it obvious that they were done talking and so was he.

Helena made her way to the front, matching pace with Damian. They swung in silence, leaving Selena to carry Harley behind them.

“Don’t you want to know how we knew he’s on his way back?”

Damian said nothing, but he turned his head slightly, listening to her effortless breathing. After a few moments, she finally answered.

“He messaged Ivy to be ready for a delivery in five days. That’s two days before your fancy party right?”

He still didn’t respond, just absorbed the information, his thoughts spiraling. Galas and charity events hosted by the Wayne’s were notorious for being hit by the Rogues. If Bruce gives that sample to her, he could be giving her just enough time to set a trial to test on his own charity gala.

“Pretty dumb if you ask me. Are you sure he’s the best there is?”

Damian scoffed at her statement.

“He is the best. I’m sure there must be some reasonable explanation for this.”

She didn’t respond, just hummed, as they continued on into the night.


	24. Chapter 24

Monday came quickly, leaving Marinette both relieved and nervous. She straightened her blouse for the twentieth time as she waited in the study, brushing loose strands of hair behind her ear. The family had taken their respective designs ten minutes ago for a fitting and had yet to return. Alfred sat down a tray of tea, offering the young designer a cup.

“Miss Marinette, I do try to encourage you to relax. Your designs were impeccable if I do say so myself.”

She flashed a grateful smile to the butler, accepting the cup of tea, taking a small sip.

“I’m hoping that you’re right Alfred. It was a long nine days.”

“I can imagine. Master Damian was concerned about your lack of sleep, but the dedication shows through beautifully in your stitching.”

A faint blush took over her cheeks as she sipped more from her tea. They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute before the door creaked open. She barely had a chance to set down her cup before Tim tackled her in a hug.

“It’s the most precious thing I own, tell me what your price is, I will offer you anything to forsake Damian and accept me instead. That way you can make me clothes and coffee for the rest of our lives. Please accept my humble offer.”

Her eyes widened as her face burned red. Two sets of arms pried Tim from Marinette, allowing her to shuffle behind Alfred.

“He means to say that we all love our outfits. They fit perfectly Marinette.”

Dick gave her a reassuring smile as he and Damian dropped Tim on the ground. Damian took a step forward, offering her a hand. She tentatively stepped forward, grabbing his hand, allowing him to pull her into his side. She settled into a side hug, allowing the boys arm to fall over her shoulders.

“I’m glad you like them so much, I was nervous for a minute.”

Barbara shook her head, offering Tim a hand.

“You’ve managed some amazing things in the past month Marnette and you just keep impressing us all.”

They all nodded in agreement, causing the young girl to bury her face in Damian’s chest, the red reaching all the way to her ears. The family all shared a look, and one by one they began to file out of the room. When they were finally alone, Marinette peaked her head out from his side. She felt his chest vibrate as a light chuckle filled the air.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?”

She sucked in a breath, looking into his eyes, trying to find any doubt.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, sending a soft smile down to his soulmate.

“Of course beloved.”

Her dying blush still painted her cheeks, causing his smile to widen.

“Then I would love to mon amour.”

A light cheer could be heard from behind the door causing the youngest Wayne to groan.

“Could you guys at least pretend you’re not listening?”

He yelled in the direction of the door causing Marinette to burst into a fit of giggles. He looked down at her, shaking his head. They both cracked a smile at each other, a knowing look in both their eyes.

“So, uh, you guys coming or?”

Damian rolled his eyes, offering Marinette his arm.

“Shall we Miss Dupen-Chang?”

“We shall Mr Wayne.”  
… … … … … … … … … . .  
Marinette arrived home late that night, collapsing on her bed in a burst of giggles. Tikki flew out from her purse, landing next to the girl on the bed.

“Is this really happening Tikki? I’m not dreaming right?”

“It’s happening Marinette! Damian officially asked you to be his date to the Gala.”

The girl let out a dreamy sigh, propping her head on her elbows to look at the kwamii. After a few moments, Marinette rolled over, attempting to fall asleep despite her giddiness.

“This is impossible Tikki. I have to tell someone or I won’t be able to sleep.”

The kwamii laughed as Marinette rolled out of bed, slipping on the closest sweatshirt on her way out the bedroom. She reached the end of the hall, raising her hand to knock when she heard a soft thump. Pressing her ear against the door, she could hear whispered conversations coming from the other side.

Sharing a look with Tikki, they both shrugged their shoulders as she knocked lightly.

“Adrien?”

She heard a much louder thump this time and some panicked shuffling before the door finally creaked open.

“Oh heyyy Marinette.”

His voice was an octave higher as he tried to fill up the whole doorway with his body, keeping the door as shut as possible. Her eyes narrowed at the boy as she moved to push the door open, but he was quicker. He stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind him. He tried to lean against the door, but his elbow missed and he stumbled into her outstretched arms.

“Okay, I could ignore the whispers, play it off as just you and Plagg having a late night talk. But the squeaky voice, shutting me out your room, the awkward posing; you’re hiding something.”

“No I’m not,” he cleared his voice, dropping it as low as he could. “I don’t know what you mean Mari.”

“Aha! There it is! You almost never call me Mari! Do you have someone over? Do you have her over?”

Marinette was bouncing on her toes, dodging Adrien’s flailing arms, when the door knob turned. Adrien tried to take a step back, but he was too late. The two women sized each other up for a tense moment and he swore his heart stopped beating. After what felt like eternity, Helena extended her hand, a small smile gracing her face.

“It’s nice to finally meet my brother’s soulmate. I’ve heard alot about you.”

Marinette’s face contorted into a confused smile, before shaking her head.

“Your brother?”

Helena’s hand dropped Marinette’s as she reached up to smack her forehead.

“Oh God, Damian probably hasn’t told you about me. He’s quite embarrassed you know, after all, I’m a child of two soulmates, and his mom.. Well I’m sure you know that story.”

Marinette’s face contorted as if she’d been punched in the gut. Adrien had heard about his soulmate’s interactions with her family and while he didn’t approve, he also didn’t like the fact that Damian had hid this from his best friend.

“Anyways, c’mon on in! I’d love to get to know you better and I’m sure you have many questions.”

To Adrien, her smile seemed warm and inviting, but Marinette shook her head, her face hardening as she took a step back.

“I’m actually quite tired, I was just coming to let Adrien know he could bring a plus one to the Gala, but I’m sure you already have an invite from your brother. Enjoy the rest of your evening lovebirds.”

She walked briskly to her room, shutting the door harshly behind her. Adrien’s mouth dropped as he tried to stutter out an apology to his soulmate.

“It’s fine Adrien, really,” she waved off his apology, dragging him back into the room. “Besides, as far as first impressions go, that wasn’t too bad for my future sister-in-law.”

She gave him a teasing smile as she pulled his face down to her level.

“Besides, with her not taking my offer, we have more time to have some fun.”

He felt her fingers drag lightly across his chest eliciting a small purr from the boy. Closing the distance, his lips crashed into hers, his hand tangling in her hair. Seconds passed before she pulled back, leaning her forehead against his. A smirk crossed the model’s face as his voice raised slightly above a whisper, sending chills down her back.

“And the fun’s just starting.”  
… … … … … … … . . ….

Hours had passed and Marinette still tossed and turned in her bed, her mind drifting back to the girl’s words.

“-child of two soulmates-”

She knew nothing of Bruce, but if she were to guess based on what Damian had told her and the number of adopted children he had, he could care less that Damian wasn’t the child of his soulmate. But that girl said it like it was some big deal, like it was the biggest insult she could think of when it came to him.

Rolling over, she reached out to grab her phone from the nightstand. Her finger hesitated over Damian’s number, but she shook her head, pressing a different contact instead. The line rang three times and doubt crept into her mind. She pulled back when she heard the call connect and a frantic voice filled the silence.

“Marinette, are you okay? It’s five in the morning.”

Tears brimmed her eyes as she heard the love and scolding in the voice. It warmed her to her core. She slid out of bed, moving to the window sill, looking out at the city line.

“But where you’re at its eleven in the morning, right before the lunch rush. Madison and Clovis doing okay?”

Her mother let out a sigh, but Marinette could imagine her slipping off her apron, a tired smile crossing her face.

“We both know you didn’t call to ask about our employees. What’s wrong mon amour?”

“Maman, why did you and father never try to find your soulmates?”

There was a slight pause on her mother’s end as the call went silent, Marinette had to double check to make sure she hadn’t hung up on accident. Finally, she heard the shop door close and the light noises coming from the streets.

“We were in love, we didn’t need a mark to tell us that.”

“But you’re not a perfect match, that’s what your soulmates would’ve been for you both, a perfect match. You’ve never regretted your decision?”

“I didn’t need a perfect match, but I did need your father. Nobody has been more caring, supporting, or loving than him. He might not be perfect, but I’ve never regretted my decision. Honey, where has all this come from? Are you and Damian having trouble?”

It was her turn to pause as she reflected over the past month in Gotham. There had been a rough start, but he’d been nothing but a gentleman since. He even told her about his past, a past she wished she could erase for him.

“No maman, it’s just that-Tikki said something that worried me. She said we might not be able to make it if we couldn’t learn to be ourselves around each other and maman, I’ve put everything on the table, but he’s still slow to open up. He’s had a terrible past and I understand, trust is probably the hardest thing for him, but it’s not just that. I just don’t know.”

“Oh Marinette, that takes time, you can’t expect him to spill just because you two are soulmates. It’s still a relationship, one you have to nurture and support. Show him that you’re there for him, but don’t push him. Let him open up when the time comes and trust me, it will.”

Marinette felt the wheels begin to turn in her head as a plan came together. She felt a small smile stretch across her face.

“He’s not a soulmate child either, you know.”

Sabine gasped, sending a giggle through the girl.

“How dare the universe pair two children not born of soulmates. It’s just not right!”

Marinette felt her side cramping from trying to hold in her laughter.

“Maman?”

“Yes my love?”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, you know I’m always here for you. When this Gala is over, I expect the two of you on the first plane to Paris. I must meet the man destined to steal my daughter from me.”

Her face began to hurt from how wide she was smiling.

“What happened to not pushing him?” she teased her mother, earning a laugh from the older woman.

“I can push him all I like, mother-in-law privileges.”

“Maman!”

“Je t'aime tellement bébé, please try and get some sleep. You don’t want black eyes now, you’ll never get rid of them before Friday.”

“I love you too. Have a good day Maman, tell Dad I said hi.”

“I will.”

The line went dead leaving Marinette to stare out the window, the final pieces of her plan falling into place. She wanted the man she loved to feel supported, and she knew just how to do so.


	25. Chapter 25

Marinette was putting the finishing touches on her dress when she felt a pair of eyes burning the back of her head.

“You know, you can come in right?”

“I didn’t know if you would want me to after last night. Blondie said you’re usually not so cold.”

The designer paused her stitch as her eyes met the girls as she sat across from her.

“I was caught off guard that’s all. Adrien isn’t the type to keep secrets, hasn’t been very good at it since we were kids.”

The girl let out a thoughtful hum as her eyes trailed down the dress laid across Marinette’s lap and the floor.

“Aren’t you worried that’ll get wrinkled?”

“No, I’ll just steam it when I’m done with the embroidery.”

They sat in an awkward silence, Marinette staring intently at her dress, Helena staring intensely at her. After five minutes, Helena finally snapped, causing Marinette to look up.

“Okay, let’s just cut to the chase. You don’t like me. Why?”

“Excuse me?”

Marinette set her needle to the side as she heaved the dress up, moving to the mannequin to place it securely.

“It’s obvious Damian didn’t tell you about me, I get that it’s awkward hearing he has a half-sibling that’s your age, but to be fair he didn’t tell me that you didn’t know. I-”

The designer let out a harsh laugh, catching the girl off guard.

“Me not liking you has nothing to do with your relationship to my soulmate.”

She turned to stare at the girl, her arms crossed, only to be met with a smirk as Helena leaned forward in the chair.

“Now we’re getting somewhere. Is it because I’m seeing Adrien? Is there some part of you that’s still madly in love with him and this is just jealousy?”

“Are you going to keep guessing?”

Helena shrugged her shoulders, propping her chin on her hand.

“Keeps things fun.”

Marinette let out an exasperated sigh as she sat back down on the couch facing the girl. She motioned for her to guess again earning a short laugh from Helena.

“How about it’s the fact that you two used to be partners and this is just some sort of sisterly protection thing?”

“That’s one thing I suppose. He’s been sneaking out every night for the past week, this is the first time you voluntarily have met any of us. You’re a thief, he literally met you because you were robbing a museum. I don’t know what I was expecting his soulmate to be like, but you’re really quite the opposite of anything I could have pictured.”

The girl’s smug expression only widened as she leaned back in the chair, propping a foot on the coffee table in front of her.

“Let me guess, you pictured someone like you?”

The tips of Marinette’s ears reddened as she leaned forward, her face hardening slightly.

“You want to know something else? I don’t like your attitude. Did you know I’m not a soulmate kid? Neither is Nino. Adrien may have let you get off with making that comment last night about Damian because he’s working out his feelings for you or whatever, but trust me, he won’t forget it.”

Her smug expression faltered for a moment before returning back to its full glory.

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings shortie, but if it bothers you so much, I won’t mention it again.”

“We are literally the same height.”

Helena shook her head, reaching out her hand, staring at Marinette expectantly.

“What are you doing?”

The girl rolled her eyes at Marinette, reaching over to pick up her hand, shaking it firmly.

“This is a truce. You obviously mean alot to Adrien and I don’t plan on leaving any time soon. If that means biting the bullet and making amends, I will try my best.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Marinette pulled her hand back, returning her arms to a crossed position over her chest. The both stared at each other, sizing each other up once more before Marinette mustered the best smile she could.

“Do you have a dress for the Gala?”

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

Adrien woke at 10, his arm reaching out to feel the empty spot on his bed. Had she really already left? He huffed out in annoyance as he sat up, reaching for his shirt to slide over his head.

“She said she was going to meet them this morning Plagg.”

The kwamii shrugged offering the boy a look of pity.

“She’s a true chaos spirit, you can’t pin down chaos.”

“You’re pinned down to this ring.”

The kwamii waved off the statement diving into his dirty clothes basket.

“A mere technicality.”

Adrien rolled his eyes as he reached to open his door. He didn’t even make it three steps down the hall when he was frozen in his path. The sound of idle conversation and laughter coming from the room at the end. Slowly he moved forward as the voices got louder. Turning the corner, he couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face.

Nino and Alya were cuddled up on the couch making small talk with Helena who stood as still as she could while Marinette pinned a beautiful purple gown to fit her body.

“You stayed.”

His voice came out as a whisper, but he had caught the attention of everyone in the room. Helena shot him a warm smile, looking at Marinette who gave her a small nod. Moving forward, she placed a small kiss on his cheek.

“Of course Blondie. I said I wanted to meet your friends. Look Marinette is fixing up one of her older designs for me.”

He shot a grateful smile to the girl who only shook her head.

“I couldn’t let you go to the Gala with nothing.”

“My hero,” Helena fake swooned into Adrien’s arms, earning a laugh from the couple on the couch and an eye roll from Marinette.

“Yeah yeah, now let me finish pinning it so that I can hem it. Maybe Adrien can take you to buy a mask.”

Her emphasis on the word buy didn’t go unnoticed as his soulmate stuck her tongue out at the designer.

“You’re all a bunch of sticks ya know?”

Adrien could only smile as he watched his friends fall in love with his soulmate, but something kept itching in the back of his head. He knew Marinette well, too well. Well enough to know that her smiles and laughter were a little too forced and it bothered him. But one laugh from Helena and all his concerns were gone.

Surely he was worried for nothing, right?

He joined his friend on the couch as they spent the morning getting to know Helena.  
… … … … … … … … … .  
“Dude, the Gala is literally in four days, you gotta pick.”

Damian rolled his eyes as he watched the nightlife crawl through Gotham, ignoring his brothers over the comm.

“He’s right baby bird. The type of flowers for a corsage have to match her dress, be extravagant, but not too heavy, and the order should’ve been placed like last week.”

“Why do you even know that?”

The bickering grew louder between Jason and Dick, giving the youngest Wayne the biggest headache. He reached up to press the earpiece, silence blessing his night as the bickering disappeared.

“Finally,” he breathed a sigh of relief, continuing his watch. The whirling of a grapple caught his ear and he let out an involuntary groan.

“You know, when I silence comms, it’s not because I’m requesting your presence.”

A soft laugh filled his ears and his heart dropped. He turned to see Lady Rouge securing her yoyo to her waist.

“If that’s how you feel mon amour, I can leave?”

“No-,” he coughed, trying to desperately ignore how high his voice just hit. “No, please stay. I thought you were Nightwing coming to lecture me in person.”

“What was it this time?”

She joined him on the ledge, staring out at the city life. His eyes kept trained on her face.

“Apparently I was supposed to get you a corsage, I was not made aware of it until tonight.”

She shrugged her shoulders, a small smile gracing her beautiful features.

“I’m not much of a corsage girl, so don’t worry about it. Besides, that saves me from buying a boutineer.”

She nudged his shoulder, her smile brightening. Was it always so blindingly beautiful?  
They sat together in a comfortable silence, just watching the city life passing below. He kept glancing at her face; her normal ease wasn’t sitting there, instead, light wrinkles appeared on her forehead as she became lost in thought.

“Is something bothering you beloved?”

She snapped quickly to attention, her face still burning from the nickname. Her mouth opened and closed several times, her face contorting to frustration as she searched for a way to get the words out. She finally closed her mouth tight, turning her whole body towards him.

“Have I told you that my parents aren’t soulmates?”

He shook his head slowly, turning to face her as well.

“It’s a cute story, don’t get me wrong. They have been friends since they were five, mom’s parents always dragging her to my father’s parents bakery. They went to the same school for years, finally realizing they loved each other when they were 17. Four great years later and they were sure that when they turned 21, they’re soulmate phrases would be for each other.”

She paused her eyes meeting his as he moved his hand to cover hers.

“My mother was devastated, but after two days, my father marched right up to her apartment and got down on one knee. She begged him to reconsider, after all, he had a chance to find his true match, but he just shook his head. His exact words were, ‘if a universe can’t see us as a perfect pair then I don’t need perfect, but I do need you’. They made their own fate, and as much as I love the idea of soulmates, my parent’s story always holds a special place in my heart.”

She reached for both his hands, taking a step closer, leaving little room between the two of them.

“I just wanted to tell you this story so that you knew I’m not a soulmate child either. Don’t ever feel threatened by your sister. It doesn’t matter if your mom wasn’t your dad’s soulmate, -”

Damian recoiled, taking two steps backwards. Marinette cocked her head, drawing her hands into her chest.

“My sister?” his voice was a harsh whisper as his mouth curled into a look of disdain.

“Yeah, she told me last night and she said you didn’t want to tell me about her because you were worried I wouldn’t look at you the same. But Damian it doesn’t matter-”

“Doesn’t matter?” his voice raised causing the small girl to flinch, taking a step backwards.

“My father missed out on the love of his life because my harlot of a mother drugged him to conceive me. As much as I want to blame Selena for ruining my dad’s chance at happiness, I’m just as much at fault! Did you know that Selena ran away for three months? She opened the door to my mother’s smug face, delivering a child that wasn’t hers. My father and her fought for days before she simply vanished.”

Marinette tried to stutter out a defense but he wasn’t done.

“She kept from him his true child all because of a drugged night with my mother. Selena was pregnant months after she found out about that night and she made the decision to take Helena out of his life before I even became a part of it. She told Helena at age nine who her dad was, she was going to introduce them, but then I came. I ruined my father’s chance to raise his soulmate child. Don’t you dare tell me it ‘doesn’t matter’.”

He saw her swallow hard as her blue eyes glassed over, but he was still seeing red.

“I’m sorry,” her voice was small as she moved to unwind her yoyo. “I just wanted to support you, I didn’t know.”

“Don’t speak to my sister if you’re going to be naive enough to believe her lies.”

His tone felt like a bullet to her heart and she couldn’t stop the tears from falling anymore. A soft thud landed behind her, as she pulled her yoyo off her hips.

“Oh hey Marinette-”

Dick didn’t even get the chance to move in for a hug, she took off across the building, sending her yoyo flying into the night. The man turned to face Damian, the youngest Wayne ignoring his gaze.

“So she really wanted a corsage huh?”

“Shut up Grayson.”

He swallowed hard as he moved closer, swearing he could feel the anger rolling off in waves.

“The first fight is always the hardest, you always say things you don’t mean-”

“I meant every word Grayson and I don’t need advice from you.”

He unhooked his grapple, flying off, leaving the man standing on a rooftop, wondering how a conversation about flowers could have gone so wrong.


	26. Chapter 26

Two days had passed and Damian had yet to call her, not even a measly text. She had received several from Dick and Barbara asking if she was okay, a few from Jason asking if she needed to vent, and even one from Tim joking about her taking him up on his offer now. Even though she was touched by their concern, none of it managed to cheer her up. She checked her phone again, only to be disappointed from the lack of notifications.

“Girl, it’s your turn to order.”

She blinked hard as she looked up to meet the eyes of the cheerful barista.

“Oh, sorry, one large black coffee please.”

The barista cocked her head to side, a little confused by her choice, but just shrugged. Marinette handed her credit card to the girl, leaving a generous tip in the jar as she picked up her coffee. She inhaled the bitter sent deeply as she sat down in the booth.

“I have no idea how you can drink that straight.”

Alya scrunched up her nose sticking out her tongue.

“It’s supposed to be better for you that way. She’ll be living on forever while we’ll be lucky to see our forties with all the sugar in ours.”

Helena slid in beside Alya, winking at Marinette. The two had come to an understanding over the past two days. When Marinette returned to her room, tears still pouring from her face, she found Helena sprawled on her floor, blood seeping into her carpet.

She rushed over to the girl, detransforming as she fell beside her, checking her pulse. She had tried to call the paramedics but Helena begged her not to, apologizing softly as she came and went from consciousness. Marinette did her best to dig the bullet from the girl’s shoulder, cleaning the wound and doing a crude stitch job. The girl spent the night in her room and under Marinette’s insistence, the last night as well.

Helena winced as she moved her hand to her throbbing shoulder, giving it a soft touch before she returned to her coffee.

“Pain meds wearing off already?”

Alya looked over at the girl, concern written all over her face. Helena offered a weak smile to the girls, sipping her coffee.

“They’re working as best as you can expect over the counter drugs to do.”

They both nodded in agreement, magic suits or not, they had their fair share of injuries and pain meds could only do so much. They continued with small talk as they finished their coffees.

“Helena, what does Ivy want with your father?”

The girl choked on her coffee, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She coughed a few times, taking a moment to look into Marinette’s eyes.

“How much do you know? Last time I talked to you, I told you too much.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms.

“He thinks he can keep me from helping him if he doesn’t talk to me, but that’s not how I work.”

Alya shrugged her shoulders, nodding at the girl. Helena let out a sigh, opening her mouth, but froze, her eyes widening as she looked over Marinette’s shoulder. Alya faltered to grab her camera, snapping a few pictures at the figure heading straight for their booth. Marinette turned in her seat, her eyes traveling up the man’s body that stopped in front of their booth.

“May I sit with you ladies?”

Marinette gulped as she slid over, making room for the man to sit beside her. They all sat in silence, staring at the him in disbelief. He offered the girls a charming smile.

“What? You’re not going to welcome me home?”

“Sorry father, It’s nice to see you’re back, you know, compared to the opposite of being blown to a thousand bits.”

Despite her shock, Helena was still able to sass the richest man alive. Marinette would almost be impressed if it wasn’t for the fact that Bruce Wayne was sitting beside her.

“That’s more like it. Now, which one of you girls is Marinette Dupen-Chang?”

Alya and Helena both glanced at the girl before she could even make a sound. Bruce glanced down, his smile turned warm as he offered her his hand. She grasped it as firm as she could, shaking it quickly before pulling back.

“Tell me about yourself Marinette, I want to know about the girl who stole my son’s heart.”

Her mouth gaped as she pointed to Helena, trying to ask her for a save, but the girl looked just as mortified.

“Wait a minute. You just show up after two years of being missing, more than likely have just found out that Helena is your daughter, and you don’t want to get to know her first?”

Bruce frowned at Alya as both girl’s shot her their mortified looks.

“Well I had planned on taking my daughter to dinner tonight, after all, we have some family matters to talk about, in private.”

His face still showed friendly, but his tone was icy. Alya didn’t back down though, she simply stared at him, her face hardening.

“You could’ve mentioned that when you first sat down, not just a greeting and then move on to ignore her. And another thing-”

“Okay Alya! Let’s go for a walk. Marinette, we’ll see you later. Father, I’m sure you know how to reach me.”

Helena pulled a steaming Alya out the booth and dragged her to the exit, earning several looks from worried customers. Bruce sighed as he slipped out from beside Marinette and into the booth across from her.

“Would you like another round of coffee? I have a feeling we will be here a while.”  
… … . . … … … … … . .  
Damian had been tracking his father’s phone for days, ever since Helena had told him that he was coming back. He had been so close to giving up when his location pinged on the screen, waking him from his light nap.

“No way,” he muttered. Next to his father’s icon was two others he had been keeping tabs on; Marinette and Alya.

“No, no, no, no.”

He picked up his cell, clicking on his father’s icon. He waited for five minutes before the line sent him to voicemail. Throwing his phone, he let out a string of curses in arabic that would have earned him quite the beating in the League. Pressing his earpiece, he prayed to whatever being or God was out there that Grayson would be the one to answer. Unfortunately, he could not be so lucky.

“What do you want demon spawn? This is the emergency line, used for emergencies only, one that I highly doubt you are in one right now considering you’re calling from the Batcave.”

Damian gritted his teeth, taking a few deep breaths before answering.

“Drake, put Grayson on this line and only Grayson.”

There was a pause, indicating the man was using his few brain cells to think about his request.

“Is this you cashing in your favor? Cause if so, I’ll do it gladly.”

“Drake can’t you just be a decent human being!”

A dry laugh rang through his ears.

“How many times did I use that line on you over the years? If you have a problem that you’re not willing to use your favor on, you’re stuck with me kid.”

“Father is back and instead of coming here or to Ivy’s like you said he would, he is with my girlfriend on a coffee date.”

“Did you just say girlfriend?”

“Focus on the big picture here Replacement.”

“I am dude. You always refer to her as Marinette or your soulmate, but never girlfriend. Is it cause you had your first couple fight and you’re missing her?”

Damian pinched the bridge of his nose trying to find the strength to not murder the man.

“You know kid, if you just say sorry, you can see her again.”

“Why would I apologize Drake?”

“Uhh, because you were probably way harsh on her when that little ray of sunshine didn’t deserve it. What was your fight even about?”

“It doesn’t matter Drake, not now, not ever.”

The line went silent and for a brief moment Damian rejoiced in the thought of leaving this conversation.

“Okay Demon, you don’t want to tell me? Fine. But I’m just letting you know that even when you turn off your comm, it still records the conversation. Now I’ve already listened to it, but if you don’t want the rest of the family to hear it as well, you’re gonna stop being an asshole and call her.”

Damian scowled as he looked back at the screen.

“The problem is that she is still with MY father and you have yet to solve that for me.”

“Her parents are so cute Damian. Why did you have to rain so hard on her parade?”

“I’m hanging up now.”

He took out his earpiece, placing it on the counter, hanging his head low. He already knew he pushed it too far. It really wasn’t Marinette’s fault or even Helena’s. He was the only one at fault here, but apologizing was not his strong suit.

From across the room his phone began to buzz. With a sigh, he walked over to pick it up from the ground. The screen was shattered, but somehow it was still buzzing strong. Carefully, he placed the phone to his ear.  
“Hello?”

“I realize that you probably don’t want to talk to me, but I just had coffee with your dad and I didn’t know who else to call. I can hang up now-”

“No no, I’m sorry that he cornered you. Actually it’s a good thing you called, I need to tell you-”

“Damian, it can wait, this is important. I think your dad is going to try and fake out Ivy and he’s going to get himself killed in the process.”

His heart ached at the sound of her voice, but her words caught his attention.

“What do you mean fake out Ivy?”

The line went silent for a moment before she spoke again.

“Can we meet up?”

“Where?”

“Your house. I don’t know if it’s safe to talk in my apartment. God, Damian there’s so much going on, I don’t know where to start.”

“Hey, it’s okay. Can you transport here or should I send Alfred?”

“I can transport.”

“Okay, then I’ll meet you upstairs. And Marinette?”

She paused, allowing him to swallow hard.

“I’m sorry”

“Damian it’s ok-”

“It’s not okay Marinette. I was angry at myself but I took it out on you. The truth is, I’ve been having those thoughts ever since I met Helena. I never understood the electric air between Selena and I, at first I thought it was because I was a literal demon child, but then as I grew older, it stayed. When I met Helena, it all fell into place. She blamed me for never giving their child a chance to grow up with our father.”

“I’m sure she doesn’t feel that way Damian, you just let Helena get to you. She’s a-particular person. She knows what to say to get what she wants. And she wanted to get under your skin.”

“Perhaps, but it still doesn’t excuse what I said. I don’t believe you’re naive, just trusting. It worries me.”

“I understand Damian. It’s okay, really. I’ll be there soon.”

And with that, the line went dead, leaving him to stare at his broken reflection.  
… … … … … … … … .

Damian was pacing the halls when the blue portal opened in front of him. Marinette stepped out, calling off her transformation, offering the small horse thing a cookie from her purse. He raised an eyebrow at her as she sheepishly opened her purse to allow the kwamii to fly in.

“When I said transport, I was meaning a taxi, not literal teleportation.”

She didn’t even bother to answer him, just pulled him into a tight hug, leaving his hands to awkwardly rub her back.

“Damian, he knew everything about me, he knew everything about the kwamiis. He knew about me and you. He just knew.”

“He tends to do that.”

She pulled back, her hands still shaking.

“What happened beloved?”

She rubbed her arm, trying to calm her nerves. Calling on Tikki, she transformed, pulling her yo yo from her side. Damian opened his mouth to ask her what she was doing, but before he could, she did something impossible. She opened her yoyo, a white glow emitting from the inside. She reached her whole hand in, pulling out a single vial.

He swallowed hard, watching the vile green water slosh in the vial, hitting the cork before settling again.

“Where did you get that Marinette?”

He held his breath, waiting for the inevitable answer.

“Your father. Damian, he wants me to come with him tonight and cast an illusion to make Ivy think it’s the real thing, while you hold onto this.”

“Absolutely not. You can’t hold an illusion for forever, when you detransform, it’ll disperse.”

She shook her head, letting her transformation fall. Her eyes stared at the sloshing liquid, a grim expression across her face.

“He’s going to give her saline colored to look like this. My illusion is just to confirm that she thinks it’s the real thing, make it smell and glow like this. Damian all it takes is one wrong movement or for her to not be so invested as your sister believes for this to go sideways. Your father is going as Bruce Wayne, not Batman, if she sees through this, it could end in his death.”

“You can’t do this beloved. If she spots you, you could be killed too. It’s too big a risk, he shouldn’t have asked you to take it.”

“It’s still my choice Damian. I’d rather try than sit by and do nothing. I know you want to protect me, but I’m not the girl to sit on the sidelines and I won’t start now, not even for you.”

He nodded, pulling her into a hug, relishing in the feeling of her being so close.

“At least let me come with you.”

“That can be arranged.”

They both pulled apart, turning to face a smiling Bruce. He placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder causing the boy to stiffen.

“Shall we get started? After all, I do have a dinner date that we cannot be late for.”


	27. Chapter 27

“Trixx, are you sure you can handle this level of illusion. I know it’s a lot to ask.”

Damian and Bruce stood a respectable distance away, whispering back and forth as they watched her speak to Trixx.

“This is nothing Marinette, seriously, I got this, no sweat.”

She nodded, returning to the duo. Damain gave her a half-hearted smile, pulling her into his side.

“Is the kwamii ready?”

Trixx flew into Bruce’s face, their arms crossed.

“The kwamii is indeed ready rich boy. Please, I am at your disposal, just give the command.”

Trixx dipped low for a dramatic bow, causing Bruce to frown. He looked at Marinette who was doing her best to bite back a smile.

“Is this normal for a being as old as time? I would’ve thought they’d be full of wisdom or at least respect.”

“Mr. Wayne, eternity is a long time to hold up such pointless social cues. Trixx may be a handful, but they always come through when matters get serious.”

Trixx nuzzled into Marinette’s cheek before making their way into her purse. A flash of orange covered the three as Bruce reached into his pocket to pull out the vial. Instead of the green saline, the whole thing turned a sickly color, the smell seeping through the small cracks in the cork.

“Incredible,” he whispered. He looked up to his son, but was met with an entirely different person.

Marinette looked over herself and Damian. Trixx really did a number for their disguises, more than Marinette suggested, but she couldn’t complain. After all, they were totally unrecognizable. 

Damian let out a thoughtful hum as he admired Marinette’s now blonde hair.

“It looks nice, but I think I prefer the real thing.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, giving his side a light push.

“C’mon, let’s go grab a table before Helena gets here. Disguises or not, she’s not dumb. She can put two and two together.”

Bruce watched the two enter the building, a love sick smile gracing both of their faces. He missed the day his son received his soulmate phrase, but he read the frantic messages Dick had sent him. In a way, it put him at peace knowing that his son finally had someone to break down with. Even after ten years, he still hadn’t found the right way to interact with him, none of them had. Dick had come the closest, but not like this.

The sound of clicking heels caught his attention as he turned with a smile to greet his dinner guests.

“Helena, Dr. Pamela Isley.”

He picked up Ivy’s hand, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. Helena rolled her eyes, pushing past the two.

“Let’s get to it, I’m starving.”

Ivy pulled her hand back, walking briskly behind the girl. Bruce let out a sigh, shaking his head. It would be a long dinner.  
… … … … … … … … … … . .  
“Where did you go to school Helena?”

“I was homeschooled actually. I mean, my aunts have doctorate degrees and my mom has street smarts, school was kind of pointless.”

Bruce tried to hide his distaste. He knew Selena had the money to send the girl to Gotham Academy or at least let her attend public school. But then again, if she had, then Bruce would’ve most likely figured it out.

Helena took a sip from her water, setting the glass down with a smirk. She knew her answers were aggravating the man, but she couldn’t help it. It was almost a game watching him dissect her every answer, beating himself up at how her mom outsmarted him on almost every move.

She leaned forward, touching his hand lightly to catch his attention.

“To be fair Bruce, you weren’t looking for a child. It’s easier to hide one when you had so much going on.”

She didn’t mention specifics, after all, she may know about her father’s double life, but not everybody present did. He studied her for a moment before he nodded, as if her answer was an acceptable apology that he didn’t have to make.

“If we’re done with the family dramatics, I would like what I came for Bruce.”

Helena rolled her eyes at her aunt, crossing her arms.

“Can we use the magic word Auntie?”

Ivy glared at the girl who gave her a sickly sweet smile in return.

“I believe your niece is right Dr. Isley, after all the trouble I went through and all the plants you lost, what could be so important about this little vial to make you risk so much?”

He pulled the vial from his pocket, causing Ivy to stiffen at the sight of it.

“I could ask you the same thing Mr. Wayne. You told me it was for the safety of your workers after you lost one who went exploring too far from the construction site. You can’t possibly expect me to believe that you plan on building at every spot you blew up.”

Bruce shrugged, rolling the vial through his fingers, watching Ivy’s tense figure lean back as if he was poking a dangerous animal.

“It is more than that Dr. Isley. I’m a humanitarian as you know and after I heard what happened to Mr. Williams, I knew I had to do something. Who else has the money, time and resources to rid the world of such a toxic pit?”

Ivy raised an eyebrow at the man, swirling the tip of his finger around the rim of her glass.

“Why didn’t you tell the news? A series of explosions were reported the past two years, but none of them had your name tied to it.”

“I wouldn’t want to risk raising the existence of these toxic places to someone with ill intentions. Could you imagine what kind of torture the military could plan with this? Which leads me to the real question here; why do you want it?”

Helena watched the tension thicken between the two, a small shiver going down her back. Her father wore a smug expression as he sipped his water, baiting Ivy to answer. But she was content to sit in silence, a frown wrinkling her face. If it were anyone else, she would be tempted to edge in and pick at the two, but her curiosity was getting the best of her, and she knew stepping into this fight could be lethal.

“If you must know, after seeing the effects the pit had on your man, I was curious as to how it could be weaponized, perhaps with a plant toxin. But there’s more to it, did you ever stop to think Mr. Wayne that it killed your man because he was healthy? Could this water have healing properties as well? Perhaps it only works on the broken and dying.”

“That’s quite a theory Dr. Isley. I do hope you find what you’re looking for.”

He gently placed the vial in her hand, standing from the table. He readjusted his suit jacket, offering his hand to help the woman stand.

“Do you ladies need a ride home?”

“No thanks Bruce, I’ve got a date and Auntie has plenty of work ahead of her.”

He frowned at the mention of a date, but decided not to push it. Instead, he forced a smile as he walked them out of the restaurant and to their cars. He waited until their engines started before sliding into his own care. Ivy pulled out first, speeding down the road. Moments later, Helena behind her.

He watched Ivy turn the corner as his doors opened, allowing Marinette and Damian to slide in.

“How far can your illusion cast?”

“About 1600 meters- uh I mean about a mile.”

Bruce nodded, starting his ignition and pulling onto the road. The rode in mostly silence, but he didn’t miss the looks that the two shared in the back seat every so often

“Mr. Wayne, I don’t mean to be rude, but how long does this illusion need to be held. Trixx is starting to get drained and will need to refuel in an hour or two before they can even think about casting again.”

His eyebrows furrowed and he opened his mouth, but one long in the rear view mirror and he saw the worry written all over the young designer’s face. He shut his mouth, returning his eyes to the road.

“An hour more should be fine. Just long enough to make sure she gets home and starts her first experiment.”

Marinette nodded as she leaned backwards into Damian’s chest, a hand unconsciously reaching to hold her purse closer. They seemed so at peace with each other, more at peace than he had ever seen his son, besides with his animals perhaps.

At that moment, he decided that he was going to withdraw his offer to Damian. Him being a permanent Batman would be a relief for Bruce, but he knew his son. If he thought that he would be disappointed in him for not taking the mantle, he would do anything to change that. Even going as far to leave the one thing that seemed to truly make him happy.

He might have messed up his chance at love, but he couldn’t let his son do the same thing. He wouldn’t.  
… … … … … … … … … .

At 11, Bruce dropped the two at Marinette’s apartment complex, telling them to take the night off, that he would handle patrol tonight. Damian seemed hesitant, but the minute his soulmate intertwined her fingers with his, all hesitancy faded away.

Landing on the rooftop of a nearby building, he relished in the feeling of being back in his suit and the rawness radiating from his chin from the wind cutting into him. Just as he was about to jump again, he heard a soft thud from behind him.

“I didn’t think you’d come.”

Nobody answered and for a second he thought he misheard. Turning slowly, a body slammed into his, wrapping their arms around his torso tightly.

“You stupid stupid man.”

He allowed himself to laugh as he returned the hug, dropping his head to the top of her head.

“I missed you too Selina.”

The both stood there, neither wanting to pull back, knowing that when they did, the responsibility would catch up.

“You’re not mad?” Her voice was muffled by his chest plate as she held him tighter.

“I was at first, I couldn’t understand why you would hide her from me. But the more Dick called and messaged, he helped me realize that I was never supporting of you, which wouldn’t have given you much hope that I could be supporting of her as well. I’m sorry Selina, I really am.”

No other words were spoken between the two as they stayed embraced, making up for lost time.


	28. Chapter 28

“C’mon Marinette, please!”

Marinette clamped her hands down on her ears, trying to drown out Adrien’s pleads as he followed her around the apartment.

“Haven’t you asked enough Adrien? I’m already doing my best here, but this is overkill!”

Before she could reach her room, he made a last minute hustle to dive in front of her, blocking the entrance. Carefully, he pulled her hands down, earning an eye roll from the girl.

“It’s just a nail appointment!”

“With Helena.”

He sighed, letting go of her hands, allowing her to cross her arms.

“You’ve forced my hand, I didn’t want it to come to this.”

He shut his eyes, keeping them closed as tight as he could. Marinette sighed, throwing her hands up slightly.

“What are you doing? The baby-doll eyes haven’t worked in years.”

Adrien opened his eyes slightly, dropping his mouth into a pout. A single tear forced its way down his right cheek, as he let out a few exaggerated sniffles. Marinette turned her head away, shaking it in the process.

“You can’t guilt me into this Adrien.”

“But you saved her life! You guys had coffee the other day! I thought you guys were starting to get along!”

“Getting along is not the same as liking each other, if anyone should know that best, it’s you. Besides, it was just a shoulder wound, pretty bad, but she would’ve lived without my help.”

Adrien tried to stutter out a defense, but Marinette refused to listen to him, walking back toward the kitchen. She pulled out a package of strawberries, rinsing the fruit as Adrien paced the floor, trying to come up with anything that would convince her to go.

“How about this?”

She raised an eyebrow, taking a bite out of the berry, nodding for him to continue.

“You go with her and I’ll ask Damian if he wants to go grab lunch!”

Marinette choked on her strawberry, turning to spit in the sink. Adrien rushed forward, patting her back trying to help her spit the berry up. When the coughing stopped, Marinette let out a small laugh.

“No.”

“C’mon buginette. I know she’s not a great person, but she’s making an effort for my sake. You mean the world to me and I know you’re trying, but it’s not enough!”

He clamped a hand over his mouth when he saw the girl’s eyes narrow.

“You don’t get to decide what’s enough Adrien. I did coffee. I did civil conversation. Hell, I even altered one of MY dresses so that she had something to wear to the Gala. I did a lot and what has she done?”

Adrien tried to stammer out a defense, but he closed his mouth instead, staring at the ground.

“You’ve only known her for two weeks Adrien. Soulmate or not, you need to take a step back and look at everything going on. I know you. I know you want it to work, because this,” she gestured between the two of them, making him hang his head lower, “didn’t.”

“But don’t throw your morals and friends out the window to make her happy. It’s a team effort, not a compromise, not a do whatever it takes to make her happy.”

She placed the berries in the fridge, leaving a broken Adrien staring at the floor in the kitchen, while she pulled out her phone. She sent a quick text. slipping it back into her pocket.

“Alya, you want to get your nails done today?”  
… … … … … … … … … .… … .

Damian pulled on his suit jacket last, adjusting his hair in the bathroom mirror for the tenth time in the past hour. A gala had never meant much to him, just a socialistic gathering his father held to maintain his charitable appearance.

But this one was different. It was the first one he had a date for, or at least a date that meant something. He secured his mask, appreciating the fine yellow and gold detailing Marintte had done. His phone vibrated in his pocket, alerting him that it was time to leave.

He pulled out his phone, sending a quick text to Marinette before opening the door to his room.

“You look good baby bird.”

Damian grunted in response, but he couldn’t hide the slight smirk as he ran his hands through his hair again.

“I can’t say the same about you, but your betrothed looks radiating.”

Dick let out a protest as Barbara chuckled, showing off with a small turn.

“Marinette really outdid herself. If you don’t marry that girl, I think Tim will beat you to it.”

Damian scoffed, but seeing the way Tim rubbed his arms, admiring every stitch in his coat had him doubting for a moment.

“Don’t get any ideas Drake.”

“I might, though.”

“Don’t.”

“But I might.”

Jason threw his arms around both of the boys, ignoring the protests.

“How about you finish this argument on your way to the Gala?”

“Excellent idea.”

They all turned to see Bruce adjusting his cuffs as he approached. The five of them shared a look before Damian took a step toward him.

“Father, are you sure now is the best time to announce your arrival back in Gotham City?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

He cocked his head in question, but everyone knew the tone. It wasn’t a question he asked Damian, it was a challenge. The boy rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Before he could even open his mouth to argue, Alfred honked the horn from outside signalling the group to leave.

Everyone began filing to the door, leaving the two still staring at each other.

“Father, I-”

He was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Damian, I don’t want you to continue on with my mantle.”

The boy’s mouth dropped, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion that quickly turned to anger.

“You said I was doing an acceptable job, a better one than you ever did! I didn’t want it at first, but I’ve become good at it, it’s the one thing I’ve been groomed for since I was born!”

Bruce didn’t even flinch as the boy raised his voice, only giving him a soft smile as he let him rant.

“It has nothing to do with your skill Damian. You are by far the best Batman this city has seen, better than myself or Dick. Nobody can deny that either.”

“Then why are you forsaking me?”

“Marinette.”

Damian’s face softened for a moment and his father watched him draw the same conclusion that he had days ago.

“You think we will become you and Selena don’t you?”

His voice was calm as his eyes met his father’s. Bruce gave a short nod, watching as the boy deflated for a moment.

“I ruined my chance for happiness; not you, not your mother, and not Selina. I pushed her away to protect her. I pushed her away to put the mission first. And I don’t want to see you suffer the same fate.”

They stared at each other for a minute before Damian did something that shocked him. He hugged him. He felt the tension melt from his son’s body as he wrapped his arms around him.

“Thank you.” It came out a whisper, but the volume almost broke Bruce’s heart.

Pulling back, Damian adjusted his coat, nodding curtly to his father. Bruce offered the boy a smile, placing a hand on his back, moving him forward

“Let’s go before Alfred comes inside. We both know he gets about these events.”

Damian let out a small laugh as they made their way to the car, excited to tell Marinette about the good news.  
. … … … … … … . .

Marinette’s phone buzzed as she finished putting on her lipstick, completing her look. Pulling it out her pocket, she clicked on the blinking icon.

‘Let me know when you arrive, I will be sure to meet you to ward off any suitors.’

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes, not bothering to hide her smile as she turned her attention to the zipper Alya was struggling with.

“Thanks girl. I have no idea how you’ve mastered this.”

Alya pushed her hair to the side, allowing Marinette to finish the zip. She stepped back to admire her handy work as Alya did a turn. 

“When you first asked me to add a little glitz to the skirt, I was nervous, but you were 100% right. It looks stunning, you look stunning.”

“Both of you ladies look stunning.”

Nino leaned against the doorframe, a goofy grin spread across his face as he watched his girlfriend spin again, striking ridiculous poses. Marinette giggled, joining Nino at the door, pretending to take pictures of her friend.

“You girls ready?”

Alya nodded, her excitement causing the girl to vibrate.

“A real Gala, and you look like a Gotham princess Marinette. God if you don’t marry this man and live out this fairytale, I will personally kick your butt.”

The two friends giggled as they linked arms, following Nino out the apartment. Tonight’s the night that Marinette had been working toward the past five weeks and she was ready to celebrate.


	29. Chapter 29

Marinette made it down the stairs without tripping, a real miracle as she felt several people turn to stare at her entrance. She felt herself pulling in, trying to make herself smaller, but an arm snaked around her waist causing her whole body to stiffen.

“Told ya I was taller.”

She felt her body relax and she rolled her eyes.

“You’re literally wearing heels.”

Helena pulled away, pulling the slit in her dress back to show Marinette her six inch heels. She let out a low whistle, earning a grin from the girl.

“It’s a miracle you can walk in those things.”

“That’s what I keep telling her.”

Adrian pulled Helena into his side, pressing a kiss to her cheek. 

“Look, I finally don’t have to bend down.” He stuck his tongue out at the girl making her push him away in a teasing manner.

“Where’s my brother at?”

Marinette scanned the room, looking for his mask, but couldn’t find a similar one.

“I don’t know actually.”

She frowned, slipping out her phone to send him a quick text. Alya linked her arm through Marinette’s and Helena’s, pulling them towards the bar.

“C’mon girls, let’s grab a drink while we wait.”  
… … … … … …  
Damian tried to push past the paparazzi, he really did, but when Tim gripped his shoulder, he knew there was no chance to run. After thirty agonizing minutes, he finally slipped past the last line of reporters and entered the ballroom. He pulled out his phone, seeing two missed texts from Marinette.

He cursed softly, practically running down the steps, ignoring the murmuring from the guests as they tried to figure out who he could be. His eyes glanced over the crowd looking for blue eyes; moving toward the middle of the room, he growled in frustration.

“You know Dames, your soulmate is quite stunning. She’s showing her support and I think it’s beautiful.”

He faced Helena with a frown on his face.

“Where is she?”

His eyes followed the girl’s finger as his breathing hitched. There she stood by the bar, her beautiful hair pulled into a loose bun, a gown draped across her petite body, none other than batman’s chest plate plastered across her breasts. He moved across the room only a few steps away when her eyes met his.

She met him halfway, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Some party. Do you Waynes always show up fashionably late?”

“It’s a strategy, everyone won’t be expecting us to be here late. Less probing about our lives unless Drake outs us.”

She hummed in agreement, pulling back to look at him.

“You’re smiling. More than usual. What’s up?”

“Just because I’m smiling, you assumed something was wrong.”

She giggled, shaking her head.

“Not wrong, just up.”

“Let’s move to a quieter spot.”

He placed a hand on the small of her back, moving toward the closest balcony. Closing the door, he turned back toward Marinette. She raised an eyebrow as he picked up her hands.

“Father asked me to forsake the mantle.”

“What?” Her voice was soft, disbelief threaded through it. His hand reached up to cup her cheek.

“I am all yours. No more split life, no more running around, no more secrets. Marinette I want to go with you to Paris, I want to be apart of your life. I want to meet your parents, I want to explore this.”

He watched her mouth open and close several times, before she reached up to wipe a tear from her eye.

“Is this for real?”

He nodded, a smile ripping across his face. Marinette dropped her hand from his, using both of them to pull his face down to meet hers, a smile threatening to tear apart hers as well.

“Can I kiss you?”

Damian’s breath hitched when his eyes caught hers, love and admiration shining through.

“Please do.”

She nodded, pulling his face down, closing the distance between them. It was hesitant at first touch, their lips moving slowly, neither wanting to push too far, too fast. He relished in the softness of her lips and the warmth that seeped from her body to his. He moved his hands to grasp her hips lightly, pulling her closer.

A soft groan slipped through her lips flipping a switch between them. Her hands moved to his neck, trying to pull him closer, her lips begging for more. He was eager to give her more when a scream ripped through the air. They both pulled back, their breathing labored, searching for the source.

“Stay behind me Marinette.”

“I can protect myself Damian, just tell me what we’re up again.”

They moved closer to the door, peeking through the glass to try to get an understanding of what was happening. The middle of the ballroom was emptied, guest cowering against the wall. A thick vine tearing through the floor.

“Ivy,” Damian’s voice hardened, his hand moving to the inner pocket of his jacket. Marinette’s hand touched his arm, pulling it down, shaking her head.

Wordlessly, she pointed to the slight movement in front of her. Dick and Tim had managed an outfit change and were closing in on Ivy’s backside. Damian carefully moved to turn the doorknob as silently as he could. Pulling open the door, he allowed Marinette to slip through first, pulling the door shut behind him.

“Bruce Wayne, I know you’re in here. You think you can gift me a fake and get away with it!”

Her voice screeched through the room as vines began to spring from the one she sat upon. They darted out in multiple directions entrapping the nearest guests, ripping apart their bodies until all that was left was a few leaves.

“No!”

Tim leapt up, swinging his bow staff at the back of Ivy’s head. He never made the hit though, a vine shot out, knocking him from the air into Nightwing’s body. They both hit the ground hard, a sickening crack sounding through the room.

“Get these people out of here.” Damian moved from Marinette’s side, ignoring her protests as he stumbled toward the middle of the room.

“Ivy! Leave these people alone.”

Her eyes narrowed as she lowered the vine to meet him on the floor.

“Where is your father Wayne?”

“I’m right here Doctor.”

His father pushed forward, a growl escaping from Ivy’s lips.

“A fake Wayne? A fake?! How long did you expect it to keep me busy?”

“Long enough.” Bruce had the audacity to smirk, enraging the woman furthur.

A vine seeped up his leg moving all the way up his body to wrap around his neck.

“Where is the real one?”

With much effort, Bruce shrugged, doing his best to look unbothered. Damian couldn’t understand what his father was doing, but as his eyes scanned the ballroom, he nodded. Marinette and her friends had cleared the room, pushing the last guest out as they shut the doors.

“It’s just us now Ivy, can we take it down?”

She snapped out of her rage, scanning the room. Her hands shot out, a vine wrapping around Dick and Tim, pulling them into the air by their ankles.

“I will take them down when you give me the real vial.”

Damian’s eyes narrowed as he calculated his chances to make a dive for the woman. Out the corner of his eye, blonde hair flashed. He leaned back, ready to retaliate as Adrien dove into Ivy, tackling her body to the ground. The momentary confusion was enough for her to lose focus. The vines holding Bruce and the men dropped, allowing Bruce to move toward the men.

“You’re all so dead!”

She pushed Adrien off, sending him flying into Damian. Vines shot in multiple directions as they darted out the way. Ivy’s eyes were full of rage as she lifted herself into the air. Marinette moved to help Damian up.

“What do we do?”

He crouched beside her, watching the woman target Tim and Dick as they tried to close in.

“We wait for an opening.”

They moved closer, watching Tim and Dick try to take down her vine, but to no avail.

“Let me call on Tikki, I can take her out.”

“No.” His answer was short, not even bothering to look at her.

“Damian please! I can’t sit back and watch them get hurt!”

“No Marinette! I can’t protect you!”

His whole body turned to face her as he watched her cheeks redden.

“I don’t need your protection!”

“Is now the time for this?!”

He heard the vague noise of yelling, but he couldn’t focus. Marinette’s face flushed, her eyes widening in fear. He felt her hands grip his shoulders and with all her might, she pushed him backwards.

He fell on his back as he watched a vine pierce through her chest.

“NO!”

Damian crawled forward, scooping her body into his arms, blood seeping into his suit.

“Marinette, please don’t leave me. Please. I’m sorry. I just wanted to protect you, I just wanted to protect you.”

Her mouth tried to open, but her breathing was too laboured. Something wet trickled down his face, but he couldn’t move to wipe it away, not when she was trying to speak to him. She shut her mouth firmly, trying to swallow. 

Tim landed beside him, gently lifting a vial that had fallen from her pocket.

“Damian, Damian, this is it.”

But he couldn’t be bothered, he pressed his hand as hard as he could on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding.

“I won’t try again Marinette. Please, I won’t try to protect you again. I won’t withhold anything again. I won’t leave you again. I won’t fight with you anymore. I love you. I love you, please don’t go. I love you.”

His tears fell onto her face mixing with hers. Slowly she moved her hand to his, pressing as hard as she could. He felt someone kneel beside him, moving Marinette from his lap to theirs. He whipped his head up to meet the eyes of his sister.

“I’ve got her. Go.”

He tried to shake his head, but one look at his family’s attempt and he knew he had to help. Standing up, his hands balled into a fist as he marched toward the vine.

“Ivy!”

A vine shot in his direction but he jumped to the side, picking up pace as he ran toward the scene. She was going to pay for what she did, even if he had to break the one promise he kept; Dr. Pamela Isley was going to die tonight.


	30. Chapter 30

Helena adjusted her grip on Marinette’s chest, pressing as hard as she could.

“Why do you have to be so damn heroic?”

Marinette gurgled out what sounded like a laugh, but her eyes winced in pain, as they glassed over again. A new battle cry sounded as two superheroes joined the battle, providing protection where they could. Helena’s eyes scanned for black leather, but Adrien was nowhere to be found. Marinette started to thrash a little, bringing her attention back down to the girl.

“Hey, hey, easy now. Nobody wants you to bleed out faster than you already are.”

Her finger dipped into the pool of blood beside her, moving painfully slow as she tried to draw something out. Helena strained her eyes, but it looked like gibberish to her.

“Marinette, I don’t understand.”

A soft thud landed beside them as Adrien leaned to view the crude drawing. His eyes softened as they turned to meet Helena’s.

“She wants you to call on Tikki, her kwamii will know what to do.”

He stood up, ready to pounce into the fight when Helena grabbed his tail.

“Where were you?”

His smile was grimm as he looked at his fallen partner, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead, then Helena’s.

“Getting plan B.”

And with no further explanation, he jumped into battle.  
… … … … … … … … …

Damian had been doing fine without the Parisian’s help, but he wouldn’t deny that they weren’t competent in a fight. Alya threw illusions of multiple heroes at Ivy, keeping the woman on her toes and off balance. Nino seemed to have a second sense when it came to defense, throwing his shield before any of them even saw a vine shoot out. Even Adrien handled a baton almost as well as Drake.

Using the small knife from his pocket, Damian cut and dodged vines trying to make his way to Ivy. The closer he cut, the faster the vines came. He found himself beside the blonde, back to back as they beat off the attacks.

“Dude, I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“Is now really the time Agreste?”

“I can’t think of a better one.”

Damian scoffed at the humor in the boy’s voice.

“I’m sorry I assumed you were gonna use her. I just- I really love her and I didn’t want to see her hurt again. And then Helena appeared and I never stopped to consider how Marinette was feeling. I ended up hurting her when I was trying to protect her.”

“Yeah well, neither one of us did too great considering she’s bleeding out over there and will be dead soon if we don’t stop this.”

“Got a plan? Cause I’m all ears here.”

Damian glanced around the ballroom, his eyes landing on Drake. He was fighting back to back with their father, both of their lips moving, no doubt about to ruin his plan.

“How fast can you rob Drake?”

“Excuse me?”

Damian pulled Adrien down as two vines collided into each other with enough force to knock the two of them to the floor.

“He has a vial that can save Marinette, but unless you steal his belt, he will give it to my father and any chance of saving her will be gone.”

He watched as the blonde thought it over, a frown passing briefly over his face.

“I can do it.”

With a nod, he bounded off, leaving Damian to take on the new wave of vines alone. Knowing that Marinette was taken care of, he found a new sense of strength, pushing forward. One way or another, he was getting to the center. One way or another, he was getting to Ivy.  
… . . … … … … … … . .  
“Okay, okay, hold up now. You’re a kwamii, you give Marinette her powers and some ‘lucky charm’ to help tilt the battle odds in her favor and you think your ladybugs can fix this.”

Tikki nodded, trying to avoid looking at her chosen. She knew the moment Helena let go of her wound, they had a little under a minute if they were lucky.

“You’ll have to move fast Helena. Get near Chat Noir, transform, and call upon the lucky charm. You’ll both have about thirty seconds to finish this and call upon my ladybugs before she completely bleeds out.”

Helena gulped as she struggled to remove Marinette’s earrings with one hand. Hand shaking, she pulled her own earrings off, trying to put the miraculous in place of them.

“Tikki, is there any way you can help me?”

The kwamii flew up, placing the back on the first earring. She guided the girl’s hand to her second ear, securing that one as well. Helena let out a shaky breath as she moved carefully to set Marinette’s head down.

“It’ll be over before you know it, but let the records show that we’re even now.”

She tried to give Marinette a weak smile, but the sight of her eyes fighting to stay open had her questioning if a minute was too generous of a time limit. Letting go of her chest, Helena darted in the direction she spotted Adrien, when she was less than a foot away, she called on Tikki, sending a light throughout the room.

Adrien whipped his head around, his eyes meeting Helena’s.

“Lucky Charm!”

Another light flashed as she caught the falling object, skidding to a stop beside her soulmate.

“What are you doing?!”

“We don’t have time Adrien, help me figure this out.”

They examined the object, a small vial split into two separate containers sloshing with clear liquids. Popping the cork, Helena took a small sniff, recoiling from the vial.

“It’s acetone and chlorine?”

Adrien nodded, pulling her forward. He let go, allowing her to run in pace beside him.

“When I say go, throw the bottle up and keep the vines busy so that I have a clear shot.”

Not even a second later, she tossed the vial into the air, swinging her yoyo, trying to hold off the vines. She vaguely heard Adrien shout for the others to retreat as the sound of glass shattering and an unmistakable cry was heard throughout the room. The boy flew from the miniature explosion, Ivy flying in the other direction.

Helena stood up, her ears still ringing as she threw up the vial cork.

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

The room was filled with a soft pink glow as a multitude of tiny ladybugs swept over all the damage in the room, restoring everything. The heroes stood in awe, holding their various injuries as they watched the room restore itself to its former glory. Helena slumped down, ready to call off her transformation when she heard the soft groan from her Aunt.

The other’s had rushed to join Marinette and Adrien, who both still laid sprawled out on the ground, everyone but Damian. Helena staggered over as she watched her brother drop beside the body of her Aunt. She watched as he felt her neck, cursing when he felt a pulse. Raising a knife above his head, he brought it down hard.

On instinct, Helena threw the yo yo, pulling his wrist back just as hard. He turned, startled that she had stopped him.

“Damian, please, she’s still Ivy.”

He opened his mouth to argue when they both heard a sob. Helena turned, her heart dropping at the sight. Alya detransfomred as she gripped her best friend’s body, the girl’s frame shaking as she sobbed. Nino was trying to pull her into a hug, but she wouldn’t let him touch her. Adrien had crawled over, his transformation dropping when he reached her lifeless body.

“It didn’t work,” Helena’s voice was hoarse as she felt the tears began to fall.

“Father! Use it! Use the vial now!”

Damian had stood, his face flushed as a new wave of tears rushing down his face. He dropped his knife, rushing over to Marinette’s side. Helena watched as her father shook his head, ignoring the protests of his son.

“I can’t Damian, you know how it feels, I can’t put her through that.”

“Dammit Bruce, this is not the time for morals!”

Bruce recoiled from his son. He hadn’t used his name in over six years, only father. Damian stroked the loose hairs from Marinette’s cheeks, staring at her paling face.

“Timothy Jackson Drake, I would like to use my favor.”

Tim nodded in agreement, turning to face Bruce.

“I’m sorry about this.”

“About what?-”

Tim threw all his weight into a punch, aiming it at Bruce’s face. The man stumbled backwards, but it wasn’t enough. Tim continued his assault, Dick rushing in, aiming at Bruce’s legs as they tried to keep him off balance. Making one final reach, Tim grabbed the vial as it fell from his pocket, running to where Damian sat as Dick tried to immobilize Bruce.

“Are you sure Damian?”

The boy didn’t respond, he only held out his hand for the vial. Tim nodded, handing it down when something sharp scraped his hand. Crying out, he let go, the vial shattering on the floor. He whipped his head to where Ivy was, her head barely lifted off the ground, an exhausted smirk plastered across her face.

“No!”

Helena felt the fury coarse through her as she dove for Damian’s knife, rolling to a stop by her Aunt’s body. She raised it above her head, but she hesitated. Ivy still wore that smirk, rolling her eyes with much effort at the girl.

“You wouldn’t kill family would you?”

Helena’s breathing quickened as she watched her Aunt laugh at the thought, taunting her. She bit her lip, lowering her arms slightly, but then she heard it. The heartbreaking sobs from her brother as he mourned the death of his soulmate. Her face hardened as she extended her arms once more.

“Good thing we’re not family.”

“Helena, no!”

She heard her father yell out, but it was too late. She brought down the knife, piercing the woman’s chest. Standing up, she didn’t even bother to look behind her. Helena called off her transformation, handing Tikki back her earrings. She moved toward the exit, reaching for the doorknob when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Risking a look back, she saw the green eyes, tears still silently falling. He opened up his mouth, a choked sound escaping him. Damian shook his head, trying again.

“Thank you.”

She flashed him a small smile, opening the door. He moved his hand, turning back toward his soulmate’s limp body, allowing the girl to risk a look. She swallowed hard, looking at Adrien holding Marinette’s head close to his. When the time was right, she’d come back to grieve with him, but not now.

Right now, she needed to grieve the loss of two people tonight and that was something her family couldn’t help her with. Without a second thought, she ran into the streets, ignoring the calls from the police. She couldn’t stop now because if she did, she wasn’t sure she could ever move again.


	31. Chapter 31

Alya couldn’t begin to describe the numbness she felt. Dick called Barbara to tell her the news. After several tearful moments she asked the commissioner to clear a path for Damian to carry Marinette’s body to the limo.

They had left hours ago, or maybe it was only minutes, all sense of time had escaped her. She was vaguely aware of Nino’s suit jacket draped around her shoulders, but the feeling of cold and emptiness consumed her every thought.

“-Ms. Césaire, please, I know it’s difficult, but I just need you to try and account the events as best as you can.”

Her eyes traveled from the ground to the officers. She tried to open her mouth, but no sound came out. Silent tears slipped down her face as she shut her mouth tight shaking her head.

“Officer, I think you have enough eye-witness accounts. Please, the girl just lost her best friend, she doesn’t need this berating.”

The officer let out a sigh, standing to return to the others, making room for Barbara to squat down in front of the girl. Alya’s eyes stayed glued to the ground, a hollowness the only thing present. Barbara placed her hands on the girl’s shoulder, pulling her into a hug. Alya didn’t even flinch, she just allowed her limp body to fall into the girl.

“I’m sorry.”

Barbara didn’t say anything else, she just held the girl close, trying to provide the comfort she needed. She watched as the girl’s boyfriend kept glancing over, but after several failed attempts to touch her, he stayed his distance, letting the blonde comfort him instead. When her eyes shifted again, they fell on Bruce’s. He nodded to the officer he was talking to and with a handshake, he turned in her direction.

She shook her head, knowing the man saw her, but he continued on. He stopped beside the girls, moving to squat beside them.

“Go away Bruce. Now is not the time.”

Ignoring her once more, he reached out to place his hand on the french girl’s back.

“Your friend was very heroic today. She saved my son and allowed her miraculous to be used for the better. She died an honorable death-”

She moved so fast that the only thing Barbara heard was the sound or skin hitting skin and all she saw was a red handprint on Bruce’s face. He opened his mouth, his eyes raging in anger, but when he saw her tears, they softened. Alya’s eyes fell back to the ground as she pulled Nino’s jacket tighter around her.

“Their not soldiers Bruce, an honorable death means nothing when you could have the person instead.”

He nodded stiffly, standing up, he took one step before looking back.

“Ms. Césaire, I haven’t always made the best decisions in my life, but I don’t regret not giving Marinette that water. It may have saved a lot of people in my life, but there are always consequences. The Marinette you knew, wouldn’t be the same one that was reborn. She would’ve been angry, blood thirsty, -”

“She would’ve been alive.”

It was quiet, Barbara almost thought she imagined it, but the way Bruce stared at the girl she knew she heard right. He gave her a quizzical look, like he wanted to argue with her statement, but instead, he turned back and walked away.

The girl didn’t speak the rest of the night, she simply leaned into Barbara’s warmth. The silent tears never stopped.  
… … … … … … … … … … … .  
Damian had laid her body on the med table in the cave, doing his best to wipe the blood and runny makeup from her face and exposed skin. There wasn’t much he could do with the dress, but at least she almost looked at peace with the signs of struggle erased from her face. Carefully, he lifted her mask, fresh tears falling as he pulled down her eyelids to cover her lifeless eyes.

“Master Damian, please accept my condolences, losing a soulmate.. Well, it’s more painful than any death.”

He sucked in a breath as he turned to face Alfred. He no longer bothered trying to hide the tears. After two hours, he thought he would have been dried out, but they just kept falling.

“I’ve never cried Alfred. Not at my death, not at the death of my grandfather, not even when father and Todd died all those years ago. Why now? I’ve only known her for five weeks. I-”

He choked again, turning from Alfred’s stare. He felt a hand on his shoulder but he couldn’t bring himself to look.

“I lost my soulmate when I was in the MI-5, Master Damian.”

Alfred swallowed hard before he continued.

“My cover was blown and she tried to come for me. She fought hard but it wasn’t enough. When I finally escaped, I had to take a leave of absence, permanently. It took me months to recover and even after I accepted my position here, I spent another year crying myself to sleep every night.”

“It doesn’t get easier?”

“Never. I think about her quite often and if there’s anything I could do to get her back, I still would try, even after all this time.”

Damian spared a look at her body. Even covered in blood and her hair wrecked, she was still the most beautiful person he’d ever seen.

“She was strong, smart, kind, trusting, God, she was way too trusting. I never thought I’d get the chance to find love, I thought the universe was playing a joke on me when I got my soulmate phrase. I was naive to think it was a blessing.”

“A soulmate is a blessing, Master Damian.”

Damian shook his head, taking a step to gather her cold hand in his.

“It was a cosmic joke Alfred. The universe gives me a soulmate, it lets me fall in love, only for it to take her away as it sits back and laughs. It’s what I deserve.”

Alfred didn’t say anything, he just watched as the young master fell to his knees, gripping the girl’s hand as if it were his life line. Kneeling down, he pulled Damian into a side hug, the boy gladly falling into it.

“You don’t deserve this and neither did she.”

Both men jumped up, automatically taking defensive stances. Standing before them was Adrien, Alya, Nino, and Dick.

“What are you doing here? I just wanted to say goodbye in private. You all could’ve had your chance later.”

He didn’t mean to snap, he really didn’t. But he hated feeling weak and the last thing he wanted was pity.

The four of them shared a look before Dick stepped forward.

“Baby bird, Adrien mentioned something to me after you left. A possible Plan B in case we couldn’t get the water to her in time or in case the ladybug’s couldn’t fix her.”

“What do you mean Plan B?”

They all shared a look again, trying to decide if they should tell him, as if he wasn’t standing right in front of them.

“Stop that.”

Adrien stepped forward, his hand unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck.

“You know about Kwamii’s right?”

Damian shook his head, his hand still gripping Marinette’s, trying to hold himself together. A small snake figure flew from Adrien’s suit jacket, it’s face in despair when it’s eyes landed on Marinette’s lifeless body.

“This is Sass. He is the Kwamii of Intuition. He might be able to help.”

The snake’s forked tongue hissed as it silently wept. Adrien allowed it to rest in his hand, offering his sleeve as a tissue. He looked at Damian, offering him a tired smile before continuing.

“Typically, when it is worn, it gives the wearer the power to reset time as many times as needed from a certain point in time. The problem with that lies in the fact that she already died, if I transformed now, I couldn’t do anything.”

“What is your point Agreste?”

The snake cut him a look, flying straight into his face.

“Hisss point isss that without the ressstraint of the miraculousss, I can go back asss far asss I pleassse.”

It was as if someone turned on a lightbulb in Damian’s hand. He dropped his soulmate’s hand, stumbling into Adrien, both hands gripping the boy’s shoulders tightly.

“You can bring her back?”

“It’s not that simple Damian.-”

“What do you mean?! The kwamii just said it was! Tell it to do it now! Tell it-”

Dick pulled the boy back, stepping between him and Adrien.

“Listen Damian, If the kwamii unleashes its power without the restraints of a holder, he can’t guarantee an exact time period he’ll return to it. It could be yesterday, it could be two months ago, it could be two years ago. It’s a risk, something we all have to consider before it tries.”

“We all? No, I demand you do it! She’s my soulmate!”

Nino tried to put his hand on Damian’s shoulder, but the boy pushed it off, his eyes full of rage.

“Why are you hesitating? Don’t you want to see her again?”

“Dude, we all want to reverse this, but there’s so many problems. If he can only go a couple hours back, then we watch our best friend die all over again.”

“Plus, there’s no telling if we’ll keep our memories or not. No telling if she’ll wake up remembering her death and you know from experience, that’s the worst thing for someone to live with for the rest of their lives.”

Dick gave him a knowing look, after all, he was the one that found him yelling out in the middle of the night after having nightmares for years after his own death. A defeated look crossed over his face as he sank back to the floor. Alya’s dress rumbled as she sat beside him. He stared at the blood covering her skirt and arms. Her eyes were still red, her cheeks stained from the trails of tears.

“I want to do it and it seems you do too. We all want to try, but I’m not prepared to watch her die again, are you?”

“If that’s what it takes. I can’t live with myself knowing I could’ve tried. Please, Sass try.”

The kwamii looked at Adrien who nodded. Sass flew over Marinette’s head, planting a light kiss between her eyes.

“This can be a little disorientating, just keep in mind, nothing your experiencing is real.”

“Crosssss your fingerssss.”

The room was filled with a blinding light abruptly, barely giving Damian enough time to shield his eyes. He felt Alya squeeze his hand letting him know that she was still there. Nausea hit him hard as black spots danced in front of his eyes. A brief memory kept replaying in his head, her beautiful laughter taking place of the ringing in his ears. His hands reached out trying to grasp the memory, but it was too far away.

It took minutes before he realized he was free falling, still gripping Alya’s hand. Panic coursed through his lungs as he tried to find something to grab onto to slow their fall, but it was useless.

“What’s happening?”

He tried his best to shout over the wind, but before he could get an answer, his body slammed into the ground, everything fading to black.


	32. Chapter 32

Marinette was fighting for her life, the vine creatures swamping her, wave after wave.

“C’mon Beloved, we can make it out. Just push a little further.”

She couldn’t see the man but at the sound of his voice, she felt herself surge with strength. Row and row of the vines fell until she was standing knee deep in their bodies.

“Well down Marinette. I believe this calls for a celebration.”

Turning, she came face to face with a handsome man, his green eyes glistening with pride as he cupped her cheek, pulling her forward. Their lips were a centimeter away when a piercing pain knocked her backwards. Tears formed, sitting at the edge of her lashes as she looked down to find a vine sticking through her chest. Her eyes traveled back to meet the man’s, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Hold on shortie, Don’t die on me now.”

A dark haired woman appeared, helping the girl lower herself to the ground. Marinette tried to ask her what was happening, but it was as if someone had stolen her voice, only whimpers of pain escaped her mouth.

“Marinette. Marinette! No, no, no, please don’t go.”

She felt the warmth as the woman pulled her into her lap, her tears hitting Marinette’s forehead. Fear coursed through the girl as she felt the life slowly draining from her.

“I don’t want to die.” It pained her to talk, but it seemed to be the only thing she could say.

“Beloved, it’s too late. Just let go.” The man appeared once more, offering his hand to the woman, pulling her from the ground and into a hug. They both turned away, leaving the girl alone in a pile of vines.

“I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.”

“Honey, please wake up. You’re scaring me.”

Marinette darted awake, gripping her chest, a sob tearing through her room.

“Oh, baby. It’s just a dream, you’re okay.”

Sabine gathered the girl’s shaking frame into her arms, allowing her tears to soak her night gown.

“It felt so real Maman. I thought I was gonna die.”

Sabine stroked her daughter’s hair, trying her best to get the girl to calm down. After she had revealed her double life, the woman was always sure to stay on alert for these night terrors. Marinette’s phone buzzed softly on her pillow, causing the girl to pull away to reach for it. Looking at the time, she frowned, putting the phone to her ear.

“Alya?” Her voice was still shaky from the dream, but it began to fill with worry. It was three in the morning, something had to be terribly wrong.

“Marinette?” The tears were obvious in the girl’s voice, Marinette could hear Alya choking back her own tears as she waited for an answer.

“Are you okay Alya?”

“It’s really you, oh god, Mari-” She cut herself off again, her crying becoming louder and choppier.

“Alya, Are you at the apartment? I’m coming over right now.”

She shared a knowing look with her mother as she moved to climb down the ladder. Alya didn’t respond, her crying turned into sobs, so loud that it surprised Marinette that neither of the boys were woken. Slipping on her shoes, Marinette gently woke Tikki, opening her bag for the kwamii to fly into.

“I’m on my way, I’ll be there in 5.”

She didn’t hang up as she pulled her mom in a tight hug, promising to be home in time for dinner.

“Marinette, Honey?”

“Yes Maman?”

“Happy Birthday Baby”

Marinette flashed her a smile, blowing her a kiss from the doorframe.

… … … … … … … … … . 

In no time, she found herself in front of her best friend’s apartment, unsure as whether to knock.

“Alya? You still there? I’m standing outside.”

She heard some shuffling from the other side of the door as her phone line went dead. Slowly the door creaked open, Alya’s red eyes peeking through the crack.

“Alya?”

The door flew open as the girl crashed into Marinette.

“It worked, oh my god, it worked. You’re here, you’re really here.”

Her tears soaked the girl’s shoulder, crushing her in a tight hug. Marinette tried to rub her back in a comforting manner, she was clearly wasted, it had to be the only explanation.

“Let’s go inside, okay?”

Alya nodded, loosening her grip. Marinette made sure to close the door, locking up, before turning back to face her friend. Silent tears still fell from her eyes, her smile borderline hysterical as she grabbed Marinette’s hand, pulling her onto the couch with her.

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you. I didn’t think it would work but here we are. It’s your birthday again.”

The designer shook her head, giving Alya’s hand a light squeeze.

“Alya, what are you talking about?”

The girl gave her a cautious look, pulling her knees into her chest.

“Marinette, I need you to keep an open mind here. When I told Nino, he brushed it off to only being a bad dream, but it’s more than that. It actually happened, I’m sure of it.”

It was Marinette’s turn to give the girl a cautious look as she nodded. With a deep sigh, Alya pushed her glasses up her nose, looking at the ground.

“You died Marinette. I saw the vine pierce your chest, I held your dead body, I watched the life drain from your eyes. You died.”

Her eyes began to water again as she choked on her sentence. Marinette opened her mouth, but Alya shook her head, swallowing hard before she continued.

“I know how it sounds, but it happened. Your birthday passed, you took a job in Gotham that I secretly applied for, you met your soulmate, Adrien met his, you became Lady Rouge and when we attended the Gala near the end of your six-week trial, a Gotham Rogue attacked and you sacrificed yourself to save your soulmate.”

Her breathing was slow and laboured as she tried to avoid breaking down again.

“Alya,” Marinette tried to keep her voice level, she really didn’t want to set the girl off again. “If all that happened, why don’t I remember it? How am I sitting in front of you?”

“Sass! The kwamii said it wasn’t sure how far back we’d get sent, just that you would be alive! They also said some of us would lose all recolation of the account, which is why Nino doesn’t believe me! I promise, ask Tikki!”

The kwamii flew from Marinette’s bag, a perplexed look on its face.

“Alya could be right Marinette. I feel like something is unbalanced, like the time stream was messed with. Something new was created, a second chance.”

“But that would mean, the universe would take someone else in place of me, to keep the balance?”

The kwamii shook its head, a thoughtful look passing it’s face.

“Not necessarily, not with Sass’ ability. There is always a balance to the universe, but Sass’ scale is not as large as mine or Plagg’s.”

A sick feeling settled over Marinette’s stomach. Her face slowly paleing as she replayed Alya’s words.

“I had a dream Alya, before you called. A man with dark hair and green eyes and there were vines, vines were everywhere.” Her voice dropped as it all connected. “A vine pierced my chest.”

Alya nodded, slowly uncurling herself to face her friend. She opened up her arms, allowing the small girl to fall into them. It was Alya’s turn to comfort her friend as her breathing began to accelerate to the near point of hyperventilating. Her blue eyes were wide, tears flowing down her cheeks. Panic rolled off of her in waves as she gripped Alya’s arm for support.

“Focus on your breathing Marinette, you can do this. Four seconds in, eight seconds out. Four seconds in, eight seconds out.”

Within twenty minutes, both girls sat in silence, no more tears left to cry. Marinette curled into Alya’s side, adjusting her head to look at the girl’s face.

“Is he nice?” Her voice was soft, almost hesitant as she waited for her friend to answer.

“He is very generous, he didn’t throw his money around, but used it in a subtle way to make you feel special.”

Marinette nodded, the green eyes from her dreams burned in the front of her mind.

“Tell me more.”

“He loved you so much, even if it took him forever to realize it. He wanted to help people, he’s a vigilante in Gotham. He was way too smart for his own good, but only came off as condescending when provoked. He-”

Marinette closed her eyes, making a mental list of everything Alay said. She met her soulmate and lost him in less than six weeks, it was a cruel joke.

“What’s his name?”

“Damian Wayne.”

Both girl’s returned to the silence, lost in their separate thoughts. After a while, they both settled into the comfort of each other, slowly drifting back to sleep, both wondering the same thing. What happens now?  
… … … … … … … … . . 

Marinette stared at her wrist, rereading her new phrase over and over again as she leaned against the bakery counter. Alya had told her what her original words were, even explained the misconception behind them. It seemed like a lost memory to Marinette as she stared at the beautiful script. With a sigh, she picked up the broom, continuing to sweep the bakery floor.

She had just finished when the door opened, the bell sounding through the empty store. Without turning around, Marinette placed the broom back into the closet.

“I’m sorry, but the bakery is closed.”

“You can’t make an exception for me Angel?”

Her whole back stiffened as she sucked in a sharp breath. Slowly she turned to face the man, his green eyes shining with humor.

“Damian?”

“You remember?” His smile broke her heart as he raced forward, only for her to step back. She held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

“Marinette?”

A single tear fell from her eyes as she internally cursed. This was the most she had cried in her whole life and it had only been one day. Concern washed over his face as he put his hands in his pockets, trying not to scare the girl.

“I remember parts. I remember my death, I remember a dark haired woman, I remember you holding me as I died. I-” she paused, trying not to choke on her words.”I remember I love you, but I don’t remember why or how I fell.”

He slowly nodded, his expression completely shattering her as he looked as broken as she felt. As if instinct, she moved forward to cup his cheek, pulling his face toward hers.

“But if I have a second chance, I don’t want to waste it. Help me remember, please.”

His eyes were so sharp, she didn’t remember the gold flakes in them, but the longer he stared at her, the more she noticed. Finally, his face melted into a small smile as he carefully lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a light kiss to them.

“When do you want to start?”

Her stomach flipped as she felt a smile begin to grow.

“Now would be great.”

He stepped back offering his arm to the girl.

“Then shall we Miss Marinette?”

Something tugged at the back of her head, like a sense of deja vu, but she ignored it, accepting his arm with a fake curtsy.

“We shall Mr. Wayne.”

The two left the bakery, strolling down the darkening Paris streets, neither saying much, just relishing the feeling of being together again.


	33. Epilogue

Marinette stood in front of the gardens at Wayne Manor, strings of light illuminating a path for her to follow. A small smile grew on her face as she wandered through the trees, her fingers lightly brushing against the lights. Her and Damian had arrived in Gotham last night to spend the week with his family who she adored.

Tonight they were supposed to have a picnic in the gardens by request of Dick, his exact words being: “Damian is much more open to my ideas when you’re around so prepare for an awesome week.”

Damian had texted her to meet him there, claiming to have been dragged by Dick to help set up. Barbara helped her into her dress earlier, leaving her to put on her finishing touches so that she could get ready herself. As Marinette neared the clearing, she kept her hand over her bag, pressing lightly into Tikki.

“Damian?”

Marinette turned slowly in the clearing, taking in the decorations and light sounds of a violin somewhere in the distance. 

“What do you think?”

Her eyes darted to the edge of the garden where her soulmate stood, a soft smile on his face as he stepped forward to pull her into a hug.

“It’s beautiful, very extravagant for a family picnic though.”

Damian shrugged, his smile widening at the curiosity in her eyes.

“What if I told you that this wasn’t Dick’s idea, but mine instead?”

Marinette’s heart stuttered as Damian grabbed her hand, carefully sliding down to one knee.

“Damian, what are you doing?”

A smirk grew on his face as he placed a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

“Marinette, the past three years we’ve been together I’ve made it my mission to surprise you at every turn, so I very well couldn’t tip you off to your proposal could I?”

Marinetet shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I’ve never been good with words, or even people for that matter, but something clicked the day I met you. You were this intelligent, beautiful, brave, and extremely talented woman who could set her mind to something and not stop until she saw it through. You were life’s curveball that had me free-falling through everything I ever thought I knew. You’ve never stopped surprising me since that day, Marinette I fall even more in love with you at every passing moment.”

His hand fumbled in his suit pocket as he drew out a small box, opening it in one motion to reveal a stunning ring inside.

“It doesn’t matter what happens in this life as long as you’re with me. You are everything I never knew I needed and I never want to spend another moment without you in my life. Marinette Dupen-Chang, Will you marry me?”

Marinette tried to get the words out of her mouth, but she was too overwhelmed to speak. Instead she began to nod, softly at first but furiously as he slipped the ring on her finger, standing up to pull her into a kiss. A multitude of cheers erupted from around them causing the couple to pull back, both with smiles so wide and eyes full of love.

They turned to face their family and friends as they all rushed forward to congratulate the two, pulling them apart for hugs and pictures.

“Oh Tom look, she’s all grown up now.”

“Our baby girl isn’t such a baby anymore.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, pulling her teary eyed parents into a tight hug, only pulling away when she heard the familiar voice behind her.

“Well shortie, I’m glad he finally grew a pair to ask, we’ve all been telling him to do it for months now.”

Pulling back from her parents, the designer turned to embrace Helena, careful to avoid the huge bump protruding from her stomach.

“You know he didn’t want to take away from our excitement, princess.”

Adrien grinned as he gently placed a hand on the bump causing Helena to roll her eyes.

“Okay but if he waited any longer, I would be in a hospital bed in labor and he would’ve postponed it, again.”

“Girl, just be glad he used the ring we suggested and not that first one. Could you imagine Marinette’s face if he would’ve brought out the three carat?”

Alya and Helena shared a laugh before she grabbed Marinette’s hand to admire their choice.

“Babe, give the girl a minute to breathe. Dudette here almost passed out when he asked and I don’t think she’s fully recovered.”

Nino sent her a wink as Marinette hit his shoulder playfully.

“I remember you actually passing out when Alya said yes last year.”

His whole face flushed red as the group laughed, Alya returning to his side to wrap her arms around his waist.

“That’s nothing, you should’ve seen Dick the whole week leading up to him asking me. Everytime I asked him if he was okay, he got sickly pale and ran from me, scared I figured it out.”

“It was a reasonable fear! You could’ve said no! Or worse, criticised my layout.”

Dick shuddered as he took a long draw from his champagne flute.

The group celebrated by sharing stories, drinking champagne and enjoying each other’s company late into the night. Nobody wanting the moment to end.  
… … … … … … … … .  
Marinette let out a content sigh as she stood on the balcony, admiring her ring in the moonlight. Their family and friends had left at three, leaving the couple happy but exhausted. A pair of arms snaked around her, allowing her to lean back against his chest for support.

“Having second thoughts already?”

“Absolutely not. I’ve been waiting for this moment since the day you walked into that bakery.”

“Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

She heard the humor in his voice as she turned to face him. Her eyebrows raised as he pulled her as tight as he could against his body, his forehead moving down to meet hers.

“Marinette Wayne. I think I could hear that for the rest of my life.”

“Me too, especially if you’re the one saying it.”

Her eyes darted down for a second as a familiar panic rose through her chest.

“Damian, what if I die again?”

“That’s not going to happen Marinette.”

“But what if it does? It’s been three years since the incident and the dream of the vine piercing my chest still happens on almost a nightly basis.”

He let out a sigh, pulling his forehead back, watching his fiancee’s face crumble.

“Marinette, It took many years before I recovered from my death. It took many more until the nightmares stopped. But I had support from Alfred and Dick and you will have support from me and a whole group of people who love you more than life itself. I promise it does get easier, it just takes time.”

She nodded, avoiding the fact that he didn’t answer her question, something he was grateful for.

“Besides, I can think of a better way to celebrate our engagement.”

Her eyes lit up as he nodded, confirming he was thinking the same thing she was.

“Homemade chocolate chip cookies and breaking into Tim’s secret coffee supply?”

“Definitely.”

The couple took off down the hall, never letting go of the other’s hand as they made their way to the kitchen. A whole lifetime sat before them, but none of it mattered like this moment did right now.

After all, they were given a second chance, and neither one planned on wasting it.


End file.
